OPRAH
ON TRUTH

Topics: Apology; Dishonesty; Honesty; Humility; Regret; Repentance; Truthfulness; Values; Words

References: Acts 5:1–11; 1 Corinthians 13:6; 2 Corinthians 13:5–10

After being included in Oprah Winfrey’s famous book club, James Frey’s memoir, A Million Little Pieces, quickly sold more than 3.5 million copies. Controversy erupted, however, when members of the press began to question whether the stories contained in Frey’s book were actually true.

On January 11, 2005, Oprah Winfrey went on CNN’s Larry King Live to defend the book and its author, stating that the controversy over his truthfulness was “much ado about nothing.” She said Frey’s writing was the “essential truth” of his life.

She reversed herself weeks later after new information came out confirming Frey’s dishonesty. Oprah apologized on her own show, saying, “I left the impression that the truth does not matter. And I am deeply sorry about that, because that is not what I believe. To everyone who has challenged me on this issue of truth, you are absolutely right.”

—Edward Wyatt, “Live on ‘Oprah,’ a Memoirist Is Kicked Out of the Book Club,” nytimes.com (January 27, 2006)