Looks like even Oprah Winfrey isn’t immune to wanting a little creative control over her own story.
The 70-year-old media mogul, worth a staggering $3 billion, reportedly shelled out a hefty sum to stop the release of a highly-anticipated documentary about her life. The documentary, originally set to drop on Apple TV Plus, was being helmed by Kevin Macdonald, the same director behind Whitney, and produced by Lisa Erspamer, a longtime collaborator from The Oprah Winfrey Show days. But things hit a snag when Winfrey and Macdonald reportedly clashed over the final cut.
“Kevin made the film, but Oprah didn’t like it and he refused to change it, and Oprah has paid back her fee to Apple,” a source said.
So, what did Oprah do? In true power move fashion, she paid back her fee to Apple, bought back the rights to the documentary, and decided to shelve it indefinitely. A spokesperson for Winfrey confirmed the situation, adding that as her content deal with Apple TV Plus wrapped up in 2022, she took matters into her own hands. According to the rep, Oprah has nothing but praise for Macdonald and Erspamer but felt it just wasn’t “the right time” for the project.
“As the Apple TV+ deal was coming to an end, Ms. Winfrey bought back the rights to her docu-series and has since decided to put the doc on hold,” the source said.
“Ms. Winfrey believes Lisa Erspamer and Kevin MacDonald are incredibly talented filmmakers and is grateful for the time and energy they put into the project,” the rep said.
Details are scarce, but one thing is clear: pulling the plug on a project of this scale is no small feat. Industry insiders say that Winfrey likely paid millions to regain control, though some sources suggest the amount didn’t surpass seven figures. Regardless, it’s not every day that someone buys back a documentary about their own life, especially when it promised to cover 25 years of American history through Oprah’s meteoric rise to fame.
Oprah Winfrey has reportedly spent a fortune to buy back the rights to a tell-all documentary about her life to ensure its never seen. pic.twitter.com/MOO2e6Nn78
— The Project (@theprojecttv) September 19, 2024
While Macdonald has stayed mum on the whole situation, it’s clear that Oprah still holds all the cards when it comes to how and when her story gets told. And for now, it seems like the world will just have to wait a little longer to see her life play out on screen.
