Oprah Winfrey doesn’t like Michelle Obama because she thinks the first lady is a show-off who constantly upstages her husband — and the feelings of dislike are mutual, Edward Klein reported in his new book, “Blood Feud.”
Ms. Winfrey used to be a close friend of the famous first couple — but not any more, Mr. Klein wrote, the Daily Mail reported.
“It appeared to Oprah that Michelle was jealous of her, furious that Barack was seeking her advice instead of Michelle’s,” one source close to the famous talking head told Mr. Klein.
“For her part, Oprah didn’t like being with Michelle, because the first lady was constantly one-upping the president and anybody else around her,” the source continued, the Daily Mail reported.
Ms. Winfrey also was quoted in the book as saying both Mr. and Mrs. Obama make her “jumpy,” the Daily Mail reported. Ms. Winfrey was cited as telling a friend that “even when the Obamas think they are being charming, they hold you at arm’s length.”
Ms. Winfrey made several public appearances on Mr. Obama’s behalf during his first campaign for president, and was credited by several with driving votes into his camp. For that, Ms. Winfrey was supposedly promised red carpet access into the White House, Mr. Klein wrote in his book.
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“Oprah had been promised unique access to the White house by Obama if he won,” the author wrote, citing a source close to Ms. Winfrey. “She [was to] get regular briefings on administration initiatives and advance notice on programs, which would give her invaluable material for her fledgling cable venture, OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network. There were big plans.”
Instead, Ms. Winfrey was snubbed. And for that, Ms. Winfrey put out the word: No stories about the Obamas were to appear in her magazine, the Daily mail reported.
“Oprah was hurt and angry and will never make up with the Obamas,” a friend of Ms. Winfrey told Mr. Klein, the Daily Mail reported.
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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