Former Flight Attendant Suing Oprah

oprahCorrine Gehrls, a former flight attendant on Oprah Winfrey’s private jet, claims she was fired in July after two other flight attendants falsely told Winfrey she had “inappropriate intimate behaviour” aboard a flight, reports TMZ. The man alleged to be involved with Gehrls, the chief pilot, was also let go as a result of the incident.

Gehrls is now suing Winfrey’s company, Harpo Productions, as well as the two flight attendants who allegedly lied – one of whom is the daughter of Winfrey’s best friend, Gayle King – for damages in excess of $75,000.


Angelina Jolie Considered The Most Powerful Celebrity

Angelia JolieAngelina Jolie managed to take the post previously held by Oprah Winfrey on Ford’s list of The World’s Most Powerful Celebrities.

Their reason: She’s a gossip column favourite and never fails to get Oscar nods. But most importantly, Jolie’s latest blockbuster “Wanted” raked in an impressive $340 million at the box office.

Oprah doesn’t have too much to worry about. The self-made billionaire came in second and shows no signs of slowing down. Winfrey continues to host “The Oprah Winfrey Show” and a monthly magazine. The talk-show host has also sealed herself a three-year $55 million contract with XM Satellite radio and has developed a partnership with Discovery Communications to create an Oprah Winfrey Network.

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Oprah Winfrey, Angelina Jolie Named Hollywood’s Top Women

Oprah Winfrey and Angelina Jolie are the No. 1 women in entertainment, according to two lists released Friday by trade paper The Hollywood Reporter.

Winfrey topped the publication’s annual “Power 100″ list, which ranks the most influential women in Hollywood.

The media mogul was chosen “based on her dizzying array of Oprah-branded media and her immense cultural influence,” editor-in-chief Elizabeth Guider said in a statement Friday.

All of the other women in the top 10 were studio executives.

Meanwhile, Jolie — who came in No. 24 on the power list — topped The Hollywood Reporter’s annual ranking of the industry’s highest-paid actresses.

She earned $15 million for her role in the action flick “Wanted” and could receive $20 million to star in a possible sequel, said the trade paper.

Taking the No. 2 spot was Julia Roberts, followed by last year’s top earner, Reese Witherspoon.


Oprah Ranked Most Generous Celebrity

Oprah Winfrey has been proclaimed the world’s biggest giver — again.

For the seoncd year running, the day-time host topped a list of the 30 most generous celebrities for giving $50.2 million US last year through the Oprah Winfrey Foundation and Oprah’s Angel Network, which fund education, health care and advocacy for women and children.

The list, now in its second year, was compiled by The Giving Back Fund, a charity that aims to encourage philanthropy.

Claiming the No. 2 spot was trumpeter Herb Alpert, who gave $13 million for education, including music lessons, through the Herb Alpert Foundation.

Three athletes also made the top 10, with cyclist Lance Armstrong, basketball star Michael Jordan and Canadian hockey player Eric Lindros giving $5 million each.

Here is the top 10 on The Giving Back Fund’s list of most generous celebrities (all figures in US dollars):
1. Oprah Winfrey, $50.2 million.
2. Herb Alpert, $13 million.
3. Barbra Streisand, $11 million.
4. Paul Newman, $10 million.
5. Mel Gibson, $9.9 million.
6. Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt, $8.4 million.
7. Lance Armstrong, $5 million.
8. Michael Jordan, $5 million.
9. Eric Lindros, $5 million.
10. Rush Limbaugh, $4.2 million.


Oprah to Make Move Into Reality TV

If you haven’t gotten enough of Oprah already, you will soon. The ubiquitous television host is planning to enter the wonderful world of reality TV – Oprah’s Harpo Productions announced Friday it is currently working on two series for ABC, tentatively titled “Oprah Winfrey’s The Big Give” and “Your Money or Your Life.”

In “The Big Give,” ten people will be given money to help others in a creative way and the contestant who succeeds best will be able to live out their “wildest dream.”

In “Your Money or Your Life,” families faced with crises are forced to learn to adapt. It is currently in development.

Air dates for either show has not yet been announced.


Halloween Treat for Oprah Audience

Talk-show host Oprah Winfrey surprised her 310-member audience on Monday by giving each and every one of them a debit card loaded with $1000 US.

The move, sponsored by Bank of America, was part of a “gift of giving back” program, reports People. The cash has to be donated to charitable causes of the audience member’s choice, or given to a single person (just not a family member).

“I can honestly say that every gift I’ve ever given has brought at least as much happiness to me as it has to the person I’ve given it to,” Winfrey told the crowd. “That’s the feeling I want to pass on to you.”

As a secondary prize, audience members were presented with Sony DVD recorders to document the positive effects of their donations for an upcoming show.

It’s not the first time Oprah has presented her audience with lavish gifts. In her most famous stunt, Winfrey gave a brand new car to every crowd member during one episode.


All Oprah, all the Time on Satellite Radio

Oprah is already the queen of TV and magazines, and now she wants to conquer our radios.

Oprah Winfrey’s new satellite radio channel debuted yesterday morning on XM Satellite Radio, reports CBC.ca. The new channel, titled “Oprah and Friends,” will extend her reach beyond her syndicated talk show and “O” magazine, the publication that features Oprah on the cover every month.

The channel will feature a news and gossip show hosted by Winfrey and friend, Gayle King, entitled “The Oprah and Gayle Show,” as well as some feature shows hosted by other frequent guests on Winfrey’s television show. Poet and writer Maya Angelou will contribute, as well as fitness expert Bob Greene, and King will have her own solo program as well.

Although the first guest to appear on the channel is Winfrey’s long-time partner, Stedman Graham, there is also a line-up of high-profile celebrities who will lend their voices to Winfrey. Actress Annette Bening, jazz trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, rock star Jon Bon Jovi and fellow multi-millionaire Donald Trump.

This channel may be an attempt to rival XM’s competitor, Sirius Satellite Radio, who has signed on shock jock Howard Stern and the crafty Martha Stewart to their own respective shows. XM’s other celebrity channels include Bob Dylan and Quincy Jones.

Winfrey signed a three-year $55 million U.S. deal with XM last February.


Oprah Confronts Author James Frey on Talk Show

Author James Frey, whose sort-of-memoir “A Million Little Pieces” has made news for being largely fictional, was confronted by Oprah Winfrey yesterday on her TV talk show.

“It is difficult for me to talk to you because I really feel duped … but more importantly, I feel that you betrayed millions of readers,” Winfrey said Thursday.

Winfrey had chosen “A Million Little Pieces”, Frey’s account of what happened to him while overcoming drug addiction and alcoholism, for her book club, making the book a best seller.

But, The Smoking Gun did a bit of research and fact checking, something publishers failed to do, and found that parts of Frey?s memoir were embellished or completely false.

“I have been really embarrassed by this,” Frey told Oprah, adding the bad press would make him “a better person and learning from my mistakes and making sure I don?t repeat them.”

Winfrey also made it clear that she was not endorsing lying when she defended Frey on Larry King Live.

“I left the impression that the truth doesn?t matter, and for that I am deeply sorry,” she said. “That is not what I believe … and to those who challenged me, you were absolutely right.”


Hermes Apologizes to Oprah

Who would believe that talk-show queen and aspiring weight loss guru Oprah would be turned away from a door?

The French luxury store Hermes apologized to Oprah Winfrey for turning her away from one of its Paris boutiques last week, saying it was closed for a public-relations event when she tried to enter the store.

Winfrey and “an entourage” unsuccessfully tried to enter an Hermes boutique on Paris’ posh Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore at 6:45 p.m. on June 14, Hermes said in a statement.

“People were in the store and they were shopping. Oprah was at the door and she was not allowed into the store,” Gayle King, a friend of Winfrey who witnessed the incident, told TV show “Entertainment Tonight.” “Oprah describes it herself as ‘one of the most humiliating moments of her life’.”

The store’s normal closing time is 6:30 p.m., although high-end shops are known to make exceptions for celebrities. On that particular night, however, “a private public relations event was being prepared inside,” the statement from Hermes said.

“Hermes regrets not having been able to welcome Madame Oprah Winfrey and the people accompanying her to give them all the attention and service that Hermes is committed to giving each of its clients in the world,” said the statement, released Tuesday. “Hermes expresses its sincere regrets for any misunderstanding that these circumstances could have caused.”

This humbling experience for Winfrey shows that even celebrity A-listers can get turned away at posh doors, not just less chic people like the rest of us.


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