Oprah Winfrey is opening up about a tragedy from her past.
In a new episode of “The Me You Can’t See,” her Apple TV+ series which she co-produced with Prince Harry, Oprah opened up about being abused as a child and how that impacted her mental health and future.
Oprah, 67, emotionally explained in a conversation with Prince Harry that when she was just 9 years old, her then-19-year-old cousin began molesting her. And at the time, due to her young age, she had no idea what sex or rape were.
“At nine and 10 and 11 and 12 years old, I was raped by my 19-year-old cousin. I didn’t know what rape was. I certainly wasn’t aware of the word. I had no idea what sex was, I had no idea where babies came from, I didn’t even know what was happening to me, and I kept that secret. And it’s just something I accepted: that a girl child ain’t safe in a world full of men,” she shared.
The media mogul continued to open about her trauma, sharing that it was her teachers who saved her.
“For so many years in my life that’s the only place I ever really felt loved. And it’s the reason why for so many years I wanted to be a teacher, to be able to give to other kids what my teachers had given to me,” she said. “Because connection to anybody that cares about you makes a world of difference. For me it was my teachers. And that’s why I know that school is so important. Education can’t save you, but it can relieve you. And so for me, it was a big relief. And in creating value and worthiness where I felt none at home. I felt none. None”
Winfrey has spoken out about her childhood abuse before. She first revealed that she had been raped by a relative on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” back in 1986.
”You see there really is no darker secret than sexual abuse. I am telling you about myself so that maybe the closet where so many sexual abuse victims and their abusers hide might swing open just a crack today, and let some light in,” she said at the time.
“The Me You Can’t See” is available on Apple TV+.
— Stephanie Swaim