Oprah Winfrey said that she secluded herself from the outside world for 322 days during the epidemic because she was afraid of contracting COVID 19.
In an interview with The Los Angeles Times, the TV personality revealed she ‘essentially did not leave her house’ for over a year while promoting her new documentary The Color of Care.
“I didn’t leave the house for 322 days,” she told the source, adding that what astonished her the most about living in isolation was “how well I was able to acclimate to the isolation and not being around other people.”
Winfrey elaborated: “And I think it’s because I was in front of a 350-person audience twice a day (on The Oprah Winfrey Show), so I’ve got a lot of shaking hands, signatures, selfies, and lots of attention, as well as exposure to being around a lot of people.”
“I was able to be with myself in a way that I haven’t been able to for years,” she said, “because generally, even when I take time off for myself, I’m thinking about what’s next.”
“Overall, I was able to adjust because I have the skill and a strong feeling of being in the present moment and living in it without worrying about what will happen next.”
“You can do that when you don’t have to worry about where your next income is coming from,” she said. I didn’t have to stress about whether or not I’d be able to pay my rent. Is it likely that I’ll be able to eat? ‘Will I be able to keep the lights turned on and care for my children?’
Such sentiments and the narrative of COVID-19 victim Gary Fowler motivated the 68-year-old to create a documentary on racial disparities in the healthcare system.
