NEWSOprah Winfrey Reveals Her 1986 Oscars Gown Gave Her a Scar: 'The Collar Choked Me'
Oprah Winfrey revealed that her heavy 1986 Oscars gown 'choked' her and left her with a scar.
April 10 2026, Published 7:37 a.m. ET
Oprah Winfrey is looking back at one unforgettable red carpet moment.
During a recent appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the TV icon shared a throwback story from the 1986 Academy Awards, wearing a long-sleeve white satin gown with a heavy beaded collar that nicked her.
Oprah Winfrey shared a story about her 1986 Oscars dress on 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.'
“Because this was the first time I'd ever done anything, I didn’t know that you’re supposed to get it fitted before you actually go to try to put it on,” Winfrey said, adding that it weighed around 12 pounds. "When I went to sit back in the chair, [the collar] choked me, and I ended the night with a scar on my neck. So when you see me sitting in the chair, I'm actually trying to pull that collar down so that I don't choke."
"After that, I decided that, no matter what you’re doing, you want to be comfortable," she shared. "So I don’t do anything that’s not comfortable now.”
The TV host said her dress' beaded collar choked her and left a scar.
That night was a major for Winfrey, who was nominated for Best Supporting Actress for her breakout role in The Color Purple.
She didn’t take home the award, though — it went to Anjelica Huston for Prizzi’s Honor.
“I heard the voice of God say to me, ‘You’re not gonna win because you can’t get out of the chair,'" she said with a laugh. "I wouldn’t have been able to get out of the chair.”
Critics recently commented on how Oprah Winfrey walked at Paris Fashion Week.
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The story comes just weeks after Winfrey made headlines for her appearance at Paris Fashion Week, where fans praised her lean figure but also raised concerns about how she was walking.
“Glad she lost the weight however she looks weak!” one person wrote.
“She seems to be struggling to even walk straight,” another added.
A third commented, “Ozempic X 100.”
Winfrey later addressed the moment in a behind-the-scenes clip from a March 13 interview, clearing up the confusion.
"On the internet, somebody was, you know how people drag you on the internet. So they were dragging me and Gayle King saying, ‘Look at them walking like they’re 90 years old,'" she explained. "And so there was a moment where we’re walking into the Chloé fashion show and my [assistant] had just handed me the Chloé sunglasses before I got out of the car.”
The 'Selma' star also sparked Ozempic rumors after her noticeable weight loss.
"I didn’t know where I was walking, I could not see," she said. "So everybody who’s saying ‘you’re walking like you’re 90,’ I could not see! I told security, 'I can’t see. I can’t see. Tell me, tell me where I’m walking. I can’t see.' And Gayle's like, 'I got two broken toes. I can’t walk.' And that’s the reason we looked like we were 90 years old is because I couldn't see and Gayle's got two broken toes!"
