Oprah Reveals Why She & Longtime Partner Stedman Are Quarantined Separately
Even the queen of all media herself is taking the coronavirus pandemic seriously. Oprah Winfrey is self-quarantined at home while Stedman Graham is social distancing in their guest house – wait, what?
Don’t get things too twisted. Oprah Winfrey, 66, and her longtime partner Stedman Graham, 69, aren’t quarantining separately at her Santa Barbara, California home because they’ve gotten sick of each other. It’s because she was sick before the coronavirus outbreak happened. “He’s at the guest house, because you all know I had pneumonia late last year….I had just gotten off of antibiotics last week, because I had a bronchial infection,” Oprah said to Oprah Magazine’s digital director Arianna Davis. The media icon said that Stedman was “one of those” who was “late to the party” when it came to taking COVID-19 seriously, and he’s now feeling the effect of his foolishness.
” ‘I don’t see what everybody’s getting so upset about!’ That’s what Stedman was saying…and that’s why Stedman’s at the guest house!” said Oprah. Lady O also added that her partner doesn’t have the virus, but they’d rather be as cautious as possible. “Stedman did not arrive from Chicago until Thursday, he had been speaking in St. Louis…he’d been on planes, so Stedman is like ‘What’s the procedure for coming home?’ The procedure is…you ain’t coming and sleeping in my bed! And literally, he goes, ‘I’m not?’ “
“And I go, ‘Have you not been paying attention to the news? Social distancing does not mean you go and sleep in the same bed with the person! When you just got off American Airlines!’ ” she added. Though they are separated, Oprah and Stedman are making the best of things. Lady O has been bringing him breakfast and dinner. She also has “love chats” with him from outside the window. “My friends say ‘Oh, isn’t Stedman upset?’ He’s really not. He’s happy to keep me safe.”
Unlike some other celebrities who are cooped up in quarantine in hopes of stopping the spread of COVID-19, Oprah isn’t losing her mind. “Cabin fever” is not a thing for her. “I’m never bored, because I always have myself. I never feel alone, have never felt alone, because I just love being with myself,” she said. “So this is more time to be with myself without the guilt. Usually it’s like, you’re with yourself but everybody wants to be someplace else. But there’s nowhere to be!” She also has her streaming services. Oprah says that she’s been watching season 3 of The Crown, Netflix’s Self-Made, and reading potential selections for Oprah’s Book Club.