Oprah Winfrey tries to shut down ‘disturbing’ rumors that she and Taraji P. Henson feuded over The Color Purple shoot: ‘Everything got handled’

Oprah Winfrey is strongly denying rumors of a feud between her and Taraji P. Henson after The Color Purple star voiced her complaints about producers trying to steal pennies.

While talking with CBSGayle King walked the red carpet at the 2024 Golden Globe Awards on Sunday. The 69-year-old talk show host and actress sounded as if she was shocked by talk of a supposed feud between her and Taraji.

“It worries me so much. Why is my name even mentioned in this conversation? Why is my name in this conversation? “Because I just became everyone’s champion,” she said defensively.

Rumors of a falling out between the women arose after Henson publicly complained about the paltry initial salary offer and said she and other actors were told they would have to drive rental cars to the set of The Color Purple.

While talking with The newspaper “New York TimesThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button actress said the request was not only insulting to the famous actor, but also potentially “dangerous” and triggering “insurance liability.”

Oprah Winfrey, 69, defended herself against rumors that she and The Color Purple star Taraji P. Henson were feuding over the actress’ treatment on set; saw on saturday in beverly hills

On the Golden Globes red carpet on Sunday, she told her friend Gayle King that rumors of a fight were “disturbing” and she said she was “everyone’s advocate”; saw on December 11th in New York

“It’s really upsetting to me that… something went viral where they’re dissecting us on top of the Empire State Building,” Winfrey continued, referring to a TikTok video viewed by fans.

In the clip, filmed during a December trip to the iconic skyscraper in which the cast and creative team were able to bathe it in purple light to promote their film, Winfrey is seen approaching the edge of the room where Taraji is leaning against the wall. hedge

They posed for a few photos standing next to each other, but then they were joined by Taraji’s costars Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks, as well as their director Samuel Bazawule, for a group photo, and Oprah quickly moved away from Taraji and toward the outside edge.

Some TikTok users took Taraji’s departure as a sign of some tension between them, but their previous smiles and behavior didn’t seem to reflect that perceived tension, and it was more likely that the Oprah Winfrey Show host was simply leaving. In the center of the photo, the three actresses might have been in a better position, while the two behind-the-scenes figures were on the outskirts of the photo.

Oprah told her best friend Gail that the lack of warmth between her and Taraji that day was likely due to the cold and windy weather conditions high above Manhattan.

“We were cold!” It was cold,” she added. “It was the fourth thing we did that day.”

Winfrey continued to defend her efforts as a producer on The Color Purple to make working conditions more comfortable for Taraji and her co-stars.

“I heard that Taraji was upset because she was asked to rent a car,” she explained to King. “I personally called Toby Emmerich, who was the head of Warner Bros. at the time, and he said, ‘Well, that means we have to make cars for everyone.’

“It’s really upsetting to me that… something went viral where they’re analyzing us on top of the Empire State Building,” Winfrey continued, referring to a TikTok video that fans dissected.

She was seen approaching Taraji and posing for photos by the fence, but when her co-stars Fantasia Barrino and Danielle Brooks approached, Oprah moved away from Taraji.

However, it looks like she just let the three actresses share the main center stage while she and The Color Purple director stood on the outer edge to let them shine.

“And I said, “Then we’ll make cars for everyone. And if necessary, I will pay for the cars myself.” He says, ‘Well, we don’t want you to do that,'” she said.

“So that’s one thing, trailers are another, food is another. And everything was settled,” Winfrey added.

It’s unclear whether producers ultimately found room in the budget to pay for these amenities, or whether she had to try something more creative to get funding for the chauffeured cars.

Winfrey previously portrayed herself as a problem solver in the production during an earlier interview with EET.

“Every time I heard there was a problem or there was a problem—a car problem or a food problem—I would step in and do everything I could to fix the situation. And I believe (Henson) will even vouch for it and say it’s true.”

Despite this, she made it clear that she is “not responsible for the budget” and her producer status may indicate varying degrees of involvement in the project.

While they may be closely involved in setting the budget and spending money on set, Winfrey could also have focused more on overseeing the creative aspects of the film, or perhaps it was largely the producer’s token credit for helping sell the film.

The remake of The Color Purple, which is an adaptation of a later musical version of the story, was also produced by Steven Spielberg, who directed the non-musical adaptation of Alice Walker’s novel in 1985, as well as the original film’s producer Quincy Jones and the musical’s producer Scott Sanders.

While fans have speculated about a feud between Henson and Winfrey based on supposed clues from the Henson and Empire State Building interviews, the Empire star described Winfrey as a supportive force who was on her side in the same New York Times interview in which she complained about being told to drive herself.

She went even further, praising the talk show host in a December Instagram post that featured a photo taken from their photo shoot at the Empire State Building.

Henson sparked rumors of a feud when she complained about poor living conditions on set and said she was asked to drive to the set in a rental car; Still from the movie “The Color Purple”

However, she repeatedly emphasized that Winfrey was an ally and advocate for her and the rest of the cast; seen together on December 12 at the Empire State Building.

‘RS. Oprah has been nothing less than a steady and solid beacon of light for ALL THE CAST “The Color Purple!!!” she wrote in the caption. “She provided all of us with ENCOURAGEMENT, DIRECTION and unwavering SUPPORT.

“She told me to go to her personally for EVERYTHING I needed, and I did!”

Taraji explained, “It took ONE CALL… ONE CONVERSATION… and ONE DECISION MADE BY A BLACK WOMAN for me to feel heard.”

She added, “Thank you Ms. Oprah for EVERYTHING you do.”