The couple have been together since 1986, the same year ‘The Oprah Winfrey Show’ premiered
Credit: jvanlokeren/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Oprah Winfrey celebrated a 15-year reunion with her coworkers from The Oprah Winfrey Show at an event in Chicago over the weekend
- Winfrey was joined by her longtime partner Stedman Graham at the event, held at Reunion by Chef Art Smith
- The couple, who have been together since 1986, rarely make public appearances and last attended an event together in 2019
Oprah Winfrey has made a rare public appearance with her partner of four decades, Stedman Graham.
The businesswoman, 72, had a reunion with her coworkers from her hit series, The Oprah Winfrey Show, ahead of the 40th anniversary of the talk show, during an event at Navy Pier in Chicago over the weekend.
Winfrey was joined by Graham, 75, as she celebrated at Chef Art Smith’s restaurant, Reunion, with the couple posing alongside Smith and a large platter of fried chicken. The photo was shared TV producer Jill Van Lokeren, who worked as a senior supervising producer on The Oprah Winfrey Show, per her LinkedIn.
Credit: jvanlokeren/Instagram
“15 year reunion for The Oprah Winfrey Show. The best segment 1 surprise guest showed up. A night of all love and pure joy. Forever grateful @oprah. + @thechefartsmith hosting at his fabulous @reunionnavypier was an added treat! Love our Ty for organizing,” Van Lokeren captioned a carousel of photos from the event.
Graham, who works as CEO of his own management and marketing consultancy firm, looked dapper in a black suit and white shirt, while Winfrey donned a matching cream pinstripe blazer and pants.
“I cannot even believe that as of next month, September 8, it will be 40 years since we first launched The Oprah Winfrey Show. Thank you for being the greatest team ever,” Winfrey said in a speech on her Instagram. Clips also showed Winfrey hugging her former coworkers and holding a platter of fried chicken alongside Graham and Smith and shouting, “Art’s Fried Chicken,” at the camera.
Although Winfrey has been with Graham since 1986, the same year as her show’s debut, the couple — who are not married — has chosen to keep their relationship out of the spotlight.
Credit: Prince Williams/Wireimage
Winfrey and Stedman’s last public appearance together was at Tyler Perry Studios Grand Opening Gala in October 2019 — almost seven years ago, according to Hello! Magazine.
They first met at a charity event in 1986 and became friends before dating later that year.
Credit: oprah/Instagram
Although they got engaged in 1992, they called it off a year later, with Winfrey explaining the reason in her 2020 essay for O, The Oprah Magazine.
“I realized I didn’t actually want a marriage. I wanted to be asked,” she wrote.
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“I wanted to know he felt I was worthy of being his missus, but I didn’t want the sacrifices, the compromises, the day-in-day-out commitment required to make a marriage work,” she added.
Winfrey said she didn’t regret her decision not to get married or have children, telling PEOPLE in 2019 that she realized “the depth of responsibility and sacrifice that is actually required to be a mother.”
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The Color Purple star said she considers the students and alumnae of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls — a South African boarding school she opened in 2007 and which will close after 2027 — her “daughters,” describing them as her “greatest, deepest joy.”
“I like children when they can actually speak to me and tell what is the problem. This is how having children was supposed to manifest for me,” she previously told PEOPLE.
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