NEED TO KNOW
Howard Stern is clarifying where things stand between him and Oprah Winfrey.
The shock jock, 71, revealed during his Friday, Oct. 10 appearance on SiriusXM’s Radio Andy that he thinks fondly of Winfrey, 71, despite past criticisms.
During the conversation with Andy Cohen, the host asked Stern about the “enemies” or “punching bags” who he’s since mended fences with over the years, specifically inquiring if Winfrey was “still” on his list of enemies. “No, I love Oprah,” Stern said.
“I follow Oprah, I enjoy watching Oprah,” he added.
After Cohen, 57, asked if he’s “spoken to her ever,” Stern clarified that it’s “never” happened. “I know Gayle King very well. And I think at one point she suggested, ‘Oh, we should get together with Oprah,’ ” Stern recalled. “I said, ‘You better check with Oprah. You better don’t surprise her with me.’ ”
“No, I am fascinated by Oprah,” he added. “I like sometimes how Oprah is so unaware. Maybe she is aware, but I suspect… sometimes she’s unaware of the sort of way she shows her wealth. I couldn’t do that. I’m not saying she’s wrong, we all know she’s wealthy. But I think in the world right now, there is such a disparity between those who have and those who have not.”
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Stern then said he finds it “funny” and called Winfrey “unapologetically wealthy,” adding that it’s “good for her.”
“I don’t hate Oprah at all. I think she’s brilliant,” Stern clarified.
Elsewhere in the episode, he told Cohen he’d “sit down with Oprah” for a discussion. “Oprah wouldn’t sit down with me,” he claimed. “I think Oprah feels, you know… Oprah doesn’t need it. You know what, I’m gonna advise Oprah, stay away from me.”
PEOPLE has reached out to reps for Winfrey for comment.
Per Variety, Stern has previously criticized Oprah over her social media use, claiming that it’s “f—— mind blowing when you follow her on Instagram” and that she’s “not embarrassed by her wealth at all.” His comments came during a November 2022 episode of The Howard Stern Show.
“You see her estates, her gardens, the people who service her and, you know … She’s got servants and, like, people cooking and it’s f—— wild. She knows how to be rich … She kind of likes to show it off, which is something I’m not comfortable with,” he claimed. “I don’t think that people should show off their wealth.”
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After co-host Robin Quivers argued Winfrey was “not showing off,” Stern stated that “there are people struggling out there.”
“You gotta kind of think about people who don’t have — to eat. You know what I’m saying? I mean, come on. You gotta be a little bit aware of this s—.” Stern added. “I make a good living, and I’m having trouble watching Oprah. I go, wow. Look what’s going on over there? Her estate is unbelievable. When she goes shopping, she goes shopping in her backyard cause everything is growing back there. There’s a farm back there.”
Stern later commended Winfrey’s charitable work elsewhere in the episode.
