Full Breakdown
Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham Appear Together for First Time in Nearly 7 Years at 40-Year Show Reunion
8/12/2026, 11:45:49 AM
Background of the Partnership
Oprah Winfrey and Stedman Graham began dating in 1986, the same year Winfrey launched *The Oprah Winfrey Show*. The pair became engaged in 1992 but called off the wedding in 1993, later describing their bond as a “spiritual partnership” that allows Graham to maintain an identity separate from “Oprah’s man.” Graham has echoed the sentiment, saying on *The Ellen DeGeneres Show* in 2019 that the couple’s arrangement lets each pursue personal happiness and purpose.
Event Details and Visuals
Over the weekend preceding the scheduled September 8 anniversary, Winfrey and Graham attended a reunion of former *Oprah Winfrey Show* staff at Chef Art Smith’s restaurant Reunion on Chicago’s Navy Pier. The gathering marked the first joint public appearance of the couple since the Tyler Perry Studios Grand Opening Gala in October 2019. TV producer Jill Van Lokeren, a senior supervising producer on the original talk show, posted a carousel of Instagram photos showing Winfrey in a cream pinstripe blazer and pants, Graham in a black suit and white shirt, and the trio holding a large platter of fried chicken.
Official Reflections on Marriage and Partnership
Winfrey has repeatedly explained that her career priorities and desire for personal autonomy guided her decision not to marry.
Data & Statistics
- Relationship length: 40 years (since 1986).
- Ages at the event: Oprah Winfrey, 72; Stedman Graham, 75.
- First joint appearance in nearly 7 years.
- The reunion celebrated the upcoming 40th anniversary of *The Oprah Winfrey Show*, which premiered on September 8, 1986.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I cannot even believe that as of next month, September 8, it will be 40 years since we first launched The Oprah Winfrey Show. Thank you for being the greatest team ever,” — The Oprah Winfrey
- “Our relationship works because he created an identity beyond being ‘Oprah’s man,’” — The Oprah Winfrey
- “Thank you for being the greatest team ever!” — The Oprah Winfrey
- “Fifteen-year reunion for The Oprah Winfrey Show,” — Van Lokeren, shared TV producer
What's Next
Winfrey’s Instagram caption indicated that a special “reunion” podcast will be released in September, allowing her former crew and “all my children” who grew up with the show to celebrate the milestone together. The podcast is slated for release after the September 8 anniversary.
