
Oprah is being called out by a number of media outlets for her alleged double standard regarding domestic violence.
At the center of the controversy is Debra Winans, ex-wife of the 47-year old Grammy Award winning gospel and R&B singer BeBe Winans. In February, a story made headlines that BeBe had shoved Debra to the ground in front of their two kids (ages 10 and 13) after a verbal dispute regarding custody issues. A domestic charge violence against BeBe is pending until a court hearing in 2010.
Oprah has been very vocal about her zero-tolerance policy regarding domestic abuse following the highly publicized Chris Brown and Rihanna incident. On February 8, 2009, after a Grammy Awards pre-show party, the two singers had a physical altercation in a vehicle that left Rihanna bloodied and bruised. After the incident, Oprah's told 'Access Hollywood' that "Domestic violence is something that I wouldn't tolerate. Period," and subsequently banned Chris Brown from appearing on her show. Ironically, BeBe's arrest came only one day before Oprah aired a special on her show about domestic violence.
Just recently, Winfrey invited BeBe Winans on her show to host "Oprah's Karaoke Challenge," an 'American Idol' style competition to find the nation's best karaoke singer. Winans was brought on to promote his new reunion album with his sister CeCe Winans, 'Still.'
Many wonder if Winfrey was simply unaware of the charges against Winans. Others see it as a blantant double standard. TMZ recently spoke to Debra Winans, who said she is "hurt by Oprah's decision to have BeBe on the show." Winfrey has yet to issue a public response.





Reader Comments(1 of 24)
gunnnzzat 11-04-2009
She makes me sick!!
pace4famat 11-04-2009
Oprah has also had Bill Cosby as a guest several times. We have read about the several women he has supposedly sexually abused.
wonderfulat 11-04-2009
What's the matter cupcake? The thought of a super influential billionaire black woman make your stomach turn?
NYAASPORTSat 11-04-2009
Big Racist in my opinion. Also the most untalented person to make it so big I've ever seen.
top thisat 11-04-2009
Newsflash! Oprah just started reaching back out to having a myriad of black guest. Was she a racist when Cruise was standing on the couch or when Dr. Phil and Rachel Ray became household names?
Keithat 11-04-2009
Oprah has always been a racist. But black against white racism is OK. Remember? This is news how?
wonderfulat 11-04-2009
I think Oprah is the most talented person in the history of show business. You try talking for an hour a day, five days a week, & keeping it so fresh, so spontanieous, so amusing & so captivating that MILLIONS & MILLIONS & MILLIONS of people watch you in the face of enormous competetion during the most fragmented media age ever. Most of us can't even keep a stranger at a party entertained for more than 5 minues. Oprah has kept America entertained for a QUARTER CENTURY becoming the richest & most philanthropic African American of all time & the most influential woman in the world in the process. No entertainer has ever been so dominant for so long.
And for those who blame Oprah for using her influence to elect the first black president; you are the ones who are hypocrites because you would never complain about a white male like Rush Limbaugh or Sean Hannity or Glenn Beck using their influence to drive the first black president down in the polls & elect conservatives to congress.
And there's nothing racist about supporting a member of your race for president. White people do it all the time. Don't confuse racial pride with racism.
NYAASPORTSat 11-05-2009
You have your opinion... I have mine. No talent at all in my opinion and very racist, I don't care who she has had on her show. As for our President getting pulled into this conversation lets give him some time and see how he can try to fix an unfixable situation. I think the man has been trying his very best to jump start the economy. I give credit where credit is due... Oprah deserves none, President Obama gets an A for effort.
TEEat 11-04-2009
To Laura: Why is she a two-faced liar? And that fact you threw "her president" in this shows how ignorant you are.
kwapkwapat 11-04-2009
She really is. I do not know why up to this point, she still can fool a lot of idiots to listen to her. She is to be blamed for having a president such as what we have now. Impeach Obama!!!!!!!!!! Stop watching the big mouth Opy!!!!!!!!!!!!
flamingrose40at 11-04-2009
Look back at recent history to find out why Laura said Obama was Oprah's president. Oprah is the one that coined the phrase "The One" and she campaigned for him non-stop and contributed huge amounts to his campaign. Sooooo with all that being public record, it pretty much stands to reason that Obama is HER president!
yeah it's meat 11-04-2009
i thought the topic was about oprah
leave the pres out of it
Btw bush must be a saint in your eyes
who cares who she's bangin
starr1551at 11-04-2009
to graciieeanne15: bush was a liar too...did you blog about him so negatively back when he was trying to bail out banks last year before leaving office and just handed money to any greedy hand that stretched out for it? especially when he didn't put any stipulations on its use, then the money was used for bonuses and buying private jets for top execs...not to mention the millions of lies he told (Iraq weapons of mass destruction!)....did you publicly call bush a liar? i suspect not...
itsriaat 11-05-2009
Hey Starr?
The Dem run congress gave out all the money, not GW
Say what you want about Bush, but he never flip-flopped on any issues. He stayed the course, even as his popularity declined.
Everyone started hating on GW because of the war, right? Do you realize we have more troops in harm's way than before Obama took office?
SpiceMonkeyat 11-04-2009
It's her show, she can do whatever the hell she wants... of course, it's her fans who will be the eventual judges of what she does.