"Oprah Has Been Hospitalized!" — Gayle King and Oprah Winfrey Clarify the Rumors About Her Health

Since 1996, Oprah Winfrey has never missed the announcement of her iconic Book Club pick, but all of that changed on June 11, 2024. Oprah’s bestie and collaborator, Gayle King, announced Oprah’s absence from CBS Mornings with the news that she had to go to the hospital. Naturally, this sent the rumor mill on a spin as people started spreading the news that Oprah was hospitalized.

However, as Gayle revealed details and even spoke with Oprah through a video chat, more information was revealed about Oprah’s health. Luckily, we have a positive update when it comes to Oprah’s health that we’re happy to share.

On June 11, Gayle revealed why Oprah was absent from CBS despite the announcement that she would be there to plug a new book. Oprah had already posted about David Wroblewski’s Familiaris as the latest addition to her Book Club selections. But she was noticeably absent during the media cycle she typically does to promote her latest picks. So as a way to show how much Oprah wanted to be there but really couldn’t be, Gayle revealed the truth about her friend’s recent trip to the hospital.

"She had some kind of stomach thing — stomach flu — stuff was coming out of both ends,” Gayle said in a TMI moment. “I won't get too graphic. Needless to say, she ended up in the hospital, dehydration, had to get an IV, it was a very serious thing."

Naturally, however, the media cycle took this out of proportion and started sharing that Oprah had been “hospitalized,” suggesting that she was still in the hospital for treatment.

After the news cycle took off with Gayle’s reveal of Oprah’s stomach flu, she took to social media to give fans a real-time update through a video chat with Oprah herself. In the caption, Gayle wrote:

“She was sidelined with a stomach virus that caused such dehydration that she went to the hospital to get an IV drip. I thought I made that clear but next thing I know I’m surprised to see headlines that scream, ‘Oprah’s hospitalized!’ (She was NOT!) And I’m bombarded with calls asking if Oprah is okay. The answer is yes!”

In the video chat, Oprah shared, “I was in the emergency room for it. I was so dehydrated, dry mouth, and I couldn’t keep enough water down to get hydrated, so I went to the emergency room for that and that’s just it.” Many of us have had our own versions of the stomach flu so we know what that’s like. But typically an IV drip or a shot in the bum is a quick fix to stay hydrated while “both ends” are being put to the task.

“You’re still a little weak-ish it seems,” Gayle asked, to which Oprah confirmed, “I’m not 100. I’m on my way up … Five people in my household had it. I would say keep your hands washed because I hear it’s being transmitted through — the doctor told me that it lives on doorknobs and railings for like 10 hours.”

Gayle then clarified that she was just “trying to show how badly [Oprah] wanted to be there to promote the book” and Oprah clarified that this was the “first one ever” she had missed. “It had to be something that would keep her from getting on a plane and coming,” Gayle added. “That’s the only point I was trying to make.”

“I was too weak to get on the plane,” Oprah confirmed. And while we are accustomed to flying coach, Oprah has a private jet, so if she can’t fly, she must be really sick. But just because she’s really sick doesn’t mean that it’s fatal or serious in the long term, as Gayle clarified in the conversation. It seems like fans and friends have bombarded both women asking if Oprah is okay, so they wanted to let the world know that yes, Oprah is okay.

In a statement to CNN, Oprah’s rep also confirmed, “Ms. Winfrey is recovering following a stomach virus and received an IV due to dehydration at the recommendation of her doctor.” We’re wishing Oprah a quick and speedy recovery!