Oprah Winfrey is drawing a firm line between herself and two television personalities whose careers received major boosts from The Oprah Winfrey Show: Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz.
In a new interview with Emmy Magazine, Oprah addressed criticism over giving both men prominent platforms before they went on to build their own television careers.
Her message is straightforward: whatever Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz chose to do after appearing on her show belongs to them.
“Everybody has their own path in life, and it has not one thing to do with me, and I don’t have one thing to do with them,” Oprah said.
The comments come amid criticism of the two men’s political positions and support for President Donald Trump.
Oprah’s connection to Dr. Phil dates back to a difficult period in her own life.
In 1998, Oprah was sued by six Texas cattlemen who claimed she had defamed the beef industry. Her legal team hired Dr. Phil McGraw to help her during the case.
According to Oprah, she quickly developed an appreciation for his approach.
She described him as practical, down-to-earth and real, saying they traveled together in a car on the way to trial every day for six weeks.
The experience left such an impression on Oprah that she began thinking beyond her own legal situation.
She recalled essentially thinking that Dr. Phil could help many other people and decided to invite him onto her show.
That platform eventually helped launch him toward a television career of his own.
Dr. Oz’s introduction to Oprah happened differently.
Oprah said her longtime friend Gayle King introduced her to Mehmet Oz, and she was impressed by his ability to explain complicated medical subjects in language that ordinary viewers could understand.
Among the subjects he discussed were colon cancer and bowel movements.
Oprah said her original motivation for bringing both men onto The Oprah Winfrey Show was simple: she believed they could be useful to viewers.
At the time, she was not trying to create political figures or shape the future positions of either man.
“I don’t have one thing to do with them,” she said while discussing their individual paths.
Both Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz went on to become major television personalities following their appearances on Oprah’s program.
Their subsequent public careers, however, have generated criticism from some people, including over their political views and support for President Trump.
Oprah’s latest comments make clear that she does not consider herself responsible for those later developments.
Her position is that providing someone with a platform at one point in their career does not mean controlling what they eventually do with the opportunities that follow.
The Oprah Winfrey Show became one of the most influential television talk shows of its era, and Oprah regularly used the program to introduce viewers to experts, personalities and potential television stars.
Dr. Phil became one of the most recognizable examples.
After gaining exposure through Oprah’s show, he eventually launched Dr. Phil, building a television brand centered on relationships, personal problems and behavioral advice.
Dr. Oz similarly became a major television personality after his regular appearances on Oprah’s program.
His television career eventually expanded into The Dr. Oz Show, which focused heavily on health and medical topics.
Both men therefore benefited significantly from the visibility Oprah provided.
That history is precisely why criticism of Oprah has surfaced when their later public positions have generated controversy.
Her latest response separates that early professional relationship from everything that followed.
Oprah’s comments highlight the complicated relationship between celebrity platforms and the people who emerge from them.
A powerful media platform can introduce an individual to millions of viewers and fundamentally change their career trajectory.
But Oprah is arguing that the person who provides that opportunity cannot necessarily be held responsible for every decision that individual makes afterward.
In her telling, she invited Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz onto her show because she believed they could help people.
What happened after that was ultimately their responsibility.
That distinction becomes especially relevant when public figures later develop political identities or positions that differ from what audiences may associate with the person who first introduced them.
Oprah’s explanation is also rooted in personal experience.
Her relationship with Dr. Phil began during a difficult legal period when she says his practical support left a lasting impression.
Her connection with Dr. Oz similarly began with her appreciation for his ability to make complicated medical information accessible to television audiences.
In both cases, Oprah says her motivation was helping viewers—not predicting the future careers or politics of the people she introduced to them.
Years later, she is making that distinction publicly.
Oprah Winfrey says she gave Dr. Phil and Dr. Oz a platform because she believed they could help people—not because she intended to shape the paths they would eventually take.
Now, she is making it clear that their careers and political views belong to them.
