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Oprah Cried for a Half-Hour After Hearing about Abuse
Monday November 5, 2007
Oprah Winfrey at the Hearst Inaugurates the Brand New Hearst Tower in New York on October 9, 2006
Stephen Lovekin/WireImage.com
Monday November 5, 2007
Stephen Lovekin/WireImage.com
Oprah Winfrey said the recent alleged abuse scandal at her $47 million Leadership Academy in South Africa "has been one of the most devastating, if not the most devastating, experience of my life.
"When I first heard about it I spent about a half-hour going around my house crying," Winfrey, 53 — who was abused as a child — said in a video news conference from Chicago Monday.
Though she said she was not responsible for school hiring, she admitted the screening process was inadequate and "the buck always stops with me."
The same day, the former employee accused of alleged sexual and physical abuse appeared in a South African court.
Virginia "Tiny" Makopo – who worked as a caregiver at Winfrey's $47 million Leadership Academy in South Africa – was not required to enter a plea at Monday's hearing, but said she was innocent when the charges — which include 13 counts of assault and criminal injury committed against at least six students aged 13-15 and a 23-year-old at the school — were read, the Associated Press reports.
Makopo was released on $450 bail. She is due back in court December 13.
Mokopo was ordered to report weekly to the police station in Sebokeng, a township south of Johanessburg. She was also banned from having any contact with staff or students at Winfrey's school.
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Posted by Mark Cina at 8:00 am ET
Categories:
27 Comments
9:41 AM
Anonymous Says:
1:25 AM
Anonymous Says:
Oprah, I like you. did you still have profile on age gap dating site like agemingle.com?
10:53 PM
Anonymous Says:
Dynasty: You are the one who is an idiot. It's true that probably many of these girls are probably excited and grateful for the opportunity that Oprah has afforded, HOWEVER..(and while it's true that probably many of these girl's mothers have died of AIDS) not ALL the girls are orphaned. Several still have their mothers or other close relatives. Now I don't care if these girls were attending school in the U.S.A, Africa or elsewhere, NO kid should ever feel that their parents or family members have minimum access to them. Imagine the kind of uncertainty and anxiety that they must feel knowing that their visits with family will be infrequent and few. Yes it was the girl's and their families decision to go to this school, but the family members of the students should be free to visit their children as often as long as they are not interrupting instruction. By resticting the family from visiting with the children has rendered them defensless and easy prey for a child abuser. These girls need their mothers or family. Period.
6:47 PM
TAsh Says:
Most of you guys are so ignorant to the fact that every other country on this earth is not like the US. It's sad that you all can sit here and talk bad about what Oprah is trying to accomplish, things we take for granted. She just wants these young women to have a chance to make it, with education as their foundation. Those of you who could careless the positive impact she is trying to make obviously will never take your education and use it. So stop being so ignorant to the idea and potential of a chance to these young girls and wake up. If you have nothing but negitive comments to say, then you have NO right to say anything at all. The bottom line to this is no matter where in the world no child deserves to be abused, imagine if it were you best friend, your sister, or even yourself. You wouldn't be making these obscene comments. Grow up.
6:30 PM
Anonymous Says:
Seriously, we're talking about a bunch of little black girls. They'd probably already had sex anyway!
2:40 PM
WTF!? Says:
Um...WHAT!?
So she cried for 30 min (ticktock, the timer in the kitchen was her witness) and then what?
Raided the fridge?
Took a dump?
Gimme a f__ break! She cried for months over her dead dog, but little girls being molested can me dealt with by shedding a 30 min tear, WHATEVER!
2:28 PM
Dynasty Says:
You people are so f..king stupid. The girls and their families were very excited about being there at the school. If they did not want them to go, then they would have kept them at home. The distance wasn't a secret, the location wasn't a secret and of course the visitation wasn't a secret. This is no different from when rich, white people send their kids millions of miles away to boarding schools. The only difference is that these girls wanted to go. Oprah has done a wonderful job building this institution. If the only thing that you can do is HATE..then do it to yourself for not having it.
1:56 PM
Anonymous Says:
Awww. Pooowwww Opwwwahhh. Boo Hoo'ed her way to her mansion. I am so sad.
1:33 PM
*Wicked* Says:
How come this MONKEY only cried for a half hour? I am sure these poor girls cried for much longer...GMAFB!!!!
12:53 PM
Keila Says:
You pleople just made bad critics i bet none of you made any charity even for your neighbors or family and come with that "bs" to some nice person (Oprah)do some good things. It's clear that's not her fault she's not in charge in hire employee she paid somebody to do that. Shut your mouths and go ahead you than and send money, clothes etc... You pleople are just jealous because she's a millionaireeeeeeeeeeeeeee. This is just another bad history of child abuse which can happened any where even inside of your own family. Oprah I Love you and I hope that God give you strength and don't stop doing charities for other you're a amazing human been.
12:37 PM
MCET Says:
She just bugs me. I think she takes herself way too seriously. Like Val Kilmer syndrome.
11:44 AM
Anonymous Says:
11:11 MCET, how so?
11:30 AM
Anonymous Says:
To 9:56 Anon
I am glad you spoke up on how annoying & pathetic this poster of "w....romance.com". Sound so stupid not even funny. Go away you f...ing looser.
11:22 AM
Leah Says:
The money for this girl came from the Angel network. She didn't pay for it and she gives no credit to all those who have donated to this charity.
11:22 AM
Crumble Says:
All girls were given mobile phone with Oprah's personal number programmed so nothing like this will ever happen again. It's so sad!! This school was the best thing Oprah has ever done. Young girls need to be empowered, especially in Africa.
11:13 AM
Anonymous Says:
Yes, I agree, children need thier mothers but has anyone stopped to consider the fact that thier mothers are dead? People, it's Africa...the statistics show that well over 70% of the mothers have died to Aids or other illnesses while others live way too far away to visit. More then 90% dont even have fathers at all! Stop looking at this like it happened in America. Those girls are so lucky to have a chance like the one Oprah gave them. If I were thier mother, I would be happy (that does not mean I would not be sad too) to hand over my child to her so they could have a chance at happiness. Considering the reality if I did'nt would be way worse then what they are facing now. I'm by no means saying what happened to them is no big deal but come one people?? Acting as though Oprah is at fault?? Thats just rediculous and you know it!
11:11 AM
MCET Says:
She seems like the world's biggest b*tch, short of Martha.
10:56 AM
Anonymous Says:
10:14 I'm not looking for some blue collar to fit the bill. I want one to
PAY THE BILLS.
10:55 AM
Anonymous Says:
10:32 I agree. The psychological impact on these girls being away from their mother's will be devastating. She's all about power and control.
Yet she can't control her hand to mouth motion.
10:32 AM
Anonymously Says:
I hope this teaches Oprah that the girls NEED their mothers in their lives. It wasn't a good idea for the only ones to have access to the students 24/7 be the school staff. These girls need their families support. Just because Oprah's mother didn't protect her from abuse doesn't mean that these girl's mothers wouldn't.
10:14 AM
To 9:56 Says:
I share your frustration but your message will never be read by the person who did the posting. That person gets paid for each time the web address is posted in a thread and more than likely never comes back to that thread to read the comments.
10:14 AM
Anonymous Says:
Ok wealthy romance is stupid. No one gives a sh!t. I personally am looking for a blue collar stud to fit the bill. I have money, I want a cowboy! So get life and find some greedy money hungry people on a different site.
9:56 AM
Anonymous Says:
To Anonymous 9:07: I am so sick and tired of whoever is chronically posting this stupid website "wealthyromance.com". you come off really pathetic day after day, post after post just plastering that stupid website everywhere. You obviously don't have a real job. Give it up, nobody cares. I will keep following you and leave this same message everytime I see your dumb website. Can I get other people in joining me?
9:49 AM
taylor Says:
what a ridiculous story...
9:43 AM
She'll BURN IN HELL Says:
Oprah is a DEVIL
9:11 AM
Anonymous Says:
This news more important than katie .
9:07 AM
Anonymous Says:
Oprah is a great woman! She is kind-hearted. I love her, I am her big fan! Just a question about her, is she single again? I saw her profile on millionaire dating site WealthyRomance.com last week. Just curious!
