Oprah Winfrey hospitalized with ‘very serious thing’

Gayle King reveals Oprah Winfrey is in hospital due to “some kind of stomach” bug.

Oprah Winfrey has been reportedly hospitalized due to “some kind of stomach thing”, per her close friend and journalist Gayle King.

Oprah Winfrey walks on stage to present the Entertainer of the Year Award at the 55th NAACP Image Awards at Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 16, 2024. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni (REUTERS)

King said this on Tuesday on the show ‘CBS Mornings’, attributing Winfrey’s lack of appearance on the news program to her ailment, which could have been a bad stomach virus that required her to seek medical attention.

Oprah was hospitalized after ‘stuff was coming out of both ends’

“Yesterday she said, ‘I’m going to rally, I’m going to rally.’ She had some kind of stomach thing where — stomach flu where stuff was coming out of both ends. I won’t get too graphic,” King said.

“But needless to say, she ended up in the hospital. Dehydration, she had an IV, so it was a very serious thing,” King emphasized.

“She will be OK. She will be OK,” King affirmed, and added, “I hope she’s not mad at me for sharing that detail, but I wanted to make it clear that it mattered to her and it bothered her that she couldn’t be here for you today.”

A spokesperson for the media mogul confirmed her hospitalization and subsequent recovery. “Ms. Winfrey is recovering following a stomach virus and received an IV due to dehydration at the recommendation of her doctor,” the spokesperson stated but didn't disclose specifics regarding Winfrey's hospital stay or the cause of her illness.

It was clarified that Winfrey's recent health setback had “no relation to weight loss medications”.

In December, Winfrey told People, “The fact that there’s a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift.”

“I now use it as I feel I need it, as a tool to manage not yo-yo-ing.”