NEWSOprah Winfrey Opens Up About Surviving Repeated Sexual Abuse as a Child: 'Why Did That Happen to Me?'
Oprah Winfrey opened up about surviving repeated sexual abuse as a child and how the experiences have shaped her purpose.
Sept. 18 2026, Updated 2:22 p.m. ET
Oprah Winfrey is reflecting on how some of the most painful experiences of her childhood ultimately shaped the way she has chosen to help others.
During a candid conversation on "The Mel Robbins Podcast," the 72-year-old media mogul spoke about surviving repeated sexual abuse as a child, including being r---- at ages 9, 10 and 14. Winfrey explained that while she doesn't believe horrific experiences happen because they are supposed to, she has learned to find purpose in what she survived.
Oprah Winfrey Opens Up About Being R---- as a Child
Oprah Winfrey candidly recalled being r---- at ages 9, 10 and 14 while speaking on 'The Mel Robbins Podcast.'
Winfrey reflected on the abuse while discussing the idea that difficult experiences can eventually become something a person uses to move forward.
"Why was I r----- at nine? Why did that happen to me?" she recalled asking herself. "Why, why, why was I r---- again at 10 and 14? Why?"
Winfrey stressed that she couldn't see anything positive coming from those experiences when they happened and doesn't believe there was justification for what was done to her.
Oprah Winfrey Says Trauma Doesn't Happen Because It's 'Supposed To'
The media mogul stressed that surviving trauma doesn't mean the horrific experiences were supposed to happen.
The former talk show host was careful to distinguish her perspective from the idea that "everything happens for a reason."
Winfrey explained that when something terrible happens, it doesn't mean the victim was responsible for it or that the experience should have occurred in the first place.
Instead, she believes people can eventually decide how they use what happened to them as they move forward with their lives.
Oprah Winfrey Recalls Feeling Alone as a Child
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Oprah Winfrey also reflected on feeling alone growing up and seeking the validation she didn't receive at home through her teachers.
Winfrey also spoke about growing up in poverty in Mississippi and often feeling alone.
She said she doesn't remember feeling loved by her mother or grandmother as a child, though she now recognizes they loved her in the best way they knew how.
"I felt no validation from home, so I felt love from my teachers," she explained.
Oprah Winfrey Found a Way to Use What Happened to Her
Oprah Winfrey said she has found purpose in her painful past by using her experiences to connect with and help other survivors.
Decades later, Winfrey said she has reframed the painful experiences of her childhood by considering how they equipped her to connect with other people.
"I was r---- so that I could help other women who were r----," she said. "I was not seen so that I could see other people."
Winfrey explained that the things she didn't receive growing up are now things she is able to give others.
Oprah Winfrey Says Her Experiences Became 'Fuel'
At 72, Oprah Winfrey believes the hardships she has endured have given her more to offer others throughout her life.
For Winfrey, finding purpose in her past doesn't erase what happened. Instead, she believes the lessons she has taken from her experiences have given her more to offer others.
"It's happening so that it feeds and fuels you in a way that you have more to give," she told Robbins.
Winfrey said she now views her life as something that "belongs to the world," encouraging others to consider how their own experiences might eventually become a source of strength or service.
