When Oprah Winfrey learned in early October that a dorm matron had allegedly abused students at her beloved Leadership Academy for Girls near Johannesburg, South Africa, she cried for a half hour. She was stunned that her $40-million-plus dream of educating that country's brightest, most disadvantaged girls had turned into a nightmare. But the woman who overcame her own poverty and sexual abuse to become one of the world's richest and most influential role models quickly turned what she calls "one of the, if not the most, devastating experiences of my life" into a springboard for action.
Within days, she and BFF Gayle King, along with Houston child psychiatrist and author (The Boy Who Was Raised as a Dog) Dr. Bruce Perry, flew to the school to check out t
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Don’t place your bets on a guy replacement when Barbara Walters and her colleagues on The View announce who will take the spots vacated by Rosie and — at long last — Star Jones Reynolds. Despite the presence of Joy Behar’s buddy Mario Cantone in the mix, TV Guide hears that his guest-hosting is more of a fun stunt than a tryout. When the winners are revealed, probably between July 9 and Aug. 2, we predict the show stays ladies only. As Elisabeth Hasselbeck told TV Guide, “Women feel safe with women. It’s justcomforting.” Fans should keep their eyes on three candidates who have cohosted numerous times: Gayle King, who won raves for her Meredith Vieira-style moderating last week, Whoopi Goldberg and fellow funny lady Sherri Shepherd, who are cohosting July 9 and 13. “There could be two African-American hosts, which would be great,” says a source close to the show. King has one big plus going for her: She would probably bring some of her B...
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* I introduced myself to Oprah's BFF Gayle King last night at a preview screening of Dreamgirls at the 68th Street Loews. As she was making her way to her seat, we locked eyes, and I very casually blurted out, "Hi, Gayle." Without missing a beat, she said hello back and we launched into a full-on conversation. She mentioned that this was her third time seeing the film this week, and I told her I loved the "Best Pizza in America" segment she did on Oprah last month — especially the part where she accidentally bit into the prop pizza that was placed on the stage for decoration. She chuckled, made some crack about how she's here to "protect and serve," and then took her seat. As for the movie itself, I'd give it a solid B. The hype surrounding Jennifer Hudson was much ado about something — her rendition of "And I Am Telling You (I'm Not Going)" will blow you away — but the rest of the movie left me kind of cold. Chicago it is not. * My top five episodes of the past week ...
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