The Oprah blog

Sherri Shepherd certainly gets around -- in a good way. She's a co-host on "The View" every morning. She plays Tracy Morgan's wife on "30 Rock." She's been the "best pal" in sitcoms like "Less Than Perfect." She's got her own sitcom now, "Sherri," on Lifetime.

She also has a small part in the new Oprah-acclaimed movie "Precious." But don't ask Oprah to comment about the performance. She didn't even recognize Shepherd in the movie.

So says Shepherd in this red carpet chat at this week's AFI Fest ...

Chicago-based sex columnist Laura Berman interviews Shepherd about the new film here ... on Oprah Radio.

Need one more Halloween costume idea? Try this project from Ellen DeGeneres: She's dressing up as The Oprah Magazine.

On today's "Ellen," DeGeneres emerged wearing a big O cover. DeGeneres will actually grace the cover of O in an upcoming issue; this, however, is not that photo.

Ellen explained:

"I'm dressed as O Magazine. Stop staring at my articles. My issue of O Magazine is coming out in two weeks. The real cover has not been revealed yet so this is just a photo that Oprah and I took over the weekend. This is what we do when we hang out. We just push each other on swings and sometimes we play in her bouncy castle. It's Oprah, it's a real castle. It's not bouncy ...

I was smart when I picked this out because a lot of costumes you need the make-up, the wig and the funny shoes and all I'm wearing under here is slacks and a smile.

I'm promoting Oprah's magazine because I really believe in it and I wanted it to be all about her today. I mean, I have my own show and I don't need to promote myself ..."

And then she turned around to reveal this, the back of her costume:

According to this full, unseen outtake from last night's "60 Minutes" interview, Tyler Perry gets her a white Bentley. And Gayle got one, too ...

"Of course, you say it's extravagant -- you didn't get it!"

Mr. Perry: I enjoy your films and need to drive many places beyond just one restaurant. Please deliver my Bentley to Chicago Sun-Times, 350 N. Orleans, Chicago. No, better yet, contact me here and I'll tell you where to send it to my momma ...

Jennifer Aniston is returning to TV, but not in a tired ol' sitcom -- she's allegedly agreed to host a talk show on Oprah Winfrey's new cable network.

Actually, she may be co-hosting the show ... with Oprah.

London's Daily Express is reporting that the former "Friends" star and tabloid fixture is signed to star in a weekly chat fest on OWN, the Oprah Winfrey Network launching on cable next spring.

The report indicates it won't just be Jen's show, it'll be the J & O show, saying Aniston will "produce and star alongside the media mogul."

Oprah didn't talk her into it. The idea sprang from Aniston's friendship with Chelsea Handler, who has her own talk show on the E! network.

"Jen became fascinated with the format after spending time with Chelsea," an OWN source told the Express. "When she saw Oprah she mentioned that it would be fun to do a chat show and Oprah seized the moment and suggested they front one together for her network."

Aniston currently fetches between $5 million and $7 million permovie; she's now starring in "Love Happens." But she might not be making huge bucks on this project. "Her salary is yet to be determined. She is doing this for one reason only; she absolutely wants to do it," the source said.

As of now, the idea for the show is once-a-week.

UPDATE: Big surprise, Aniston's rep denies the report. Says the two have no plans to work together. Too good to be true.

Oprah announced yesterday that controversial Republican figure Sarah Palin will be on her show next month to plug her new book, and Palinpalooza has already (big surprise) stirred up both bases.

Facts and misunderstandings have flown fast and furious in the last 24 hours. People reported that last year "Palin famously turned down a campaign season appearance with talk show host." Well, not completely. First, Oprah kept her at bay through the election, then Palin returned the favor.

The Drudge Report posted an item in September 2008 claiming that Oprah's staff was bitterly divided about whether to book Palin on the show. Oprah quickly responded with a statement debunking Drudge, saying, "There has been absolutely no discussion about having Sarah Palin on my show. At the beginning of the presidential campaign, when I decided that I was going to take my first public stance in support of a candidate, I made the decision not to use my show as a platform for any of the candidates. I agree that Sarah Palin would be a fantastic interview, and I would love to have her on after the campaign is over."

Oprah famously endorsed Barack Obama -- did a "happy dance" for him, no less -- the winning Democrat in last year's campaign. (He even joked about making her his VP.) Obama has appeared twice on Oprah's show -- but not while he was a candidate. He also plugged books on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" in January 2005 and October 2006.

Immediately after Election Day, Oprah did invite Palin to be on the show. And Sarah snubbed her, talking to several other shows instead.

Round and round -- the point is, it's finally happening, for good or ill. So, the question ...

What do you think Oprah should ask Sarah during the interview?

According to yesterday's announcement, they'll be meeting for the first time during the actual sit-down -- no pre-planning or rehearsal -- so O's gotta have her ducks in a row. What should she ask? Where shouldn't she go? Tell us below ...

And, as much as "Saturday Night Live" has skewered Palin with Tina Fey's spot-on impersonation, here's a clip from a Dutch TV comedy show featuring an Oprah spoof -- with "Sarah Palin" as a guest ...

You betcha! Former Alaska governor Sarah Palin will appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" on Nov. 16.

Harpo announced the booking today, adding that Winfrey and Palin will meet for the very first time on the episode.

Palin has been courted by numerous talk shows. Other than news-channel interviews and a cameo on "Saturday Night Live," she hasn't made it to Leno, Letterman, etc.

Of course, there's really one reason Palin chose Oprah: She's got a book to sell. And Oprah can move tanker-loads of books. Palin will be hawking her upcoming memoir, Going Rogue: An American Life.

Palin was John McCain's running mate on the Republican ticket for the 2008 presidential election. Oprah endorsed Barack Obama in the election, the first time she publicly supported a candidate.

Think Oprah can see Russia from her Chicago skyscraper?

Oprah keeps her ear to the ground -- which may the safest place for it on her talk show this Friday.

Boxing rivals Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield will face each other again, not in the ring but on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," during its weekly live broadcast this Friday, according to an announcement from Harpo Productions.

Oprah will referee the pair during the appearance, which is the first time the fighters have met since June 28, 1997, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, when Tyson was disqualified after biting off part of Holyfield's right ear during their WBA heavyweight title fight.

Tyson was just on Oprah's show on Monday of this week, discussing the death of his 4-year-old daughter and talking about his family. But he also commented on the infamous ear-chomping incident.

Asked by Oprah about it, Tyson said, ''I didn't feel guilty at the time. ... I apologized to him.''

Winfrey wondered whether Tyson felt the apology.

''No, I did not,'' he said. ''It wasn't sincere.''

Harpo Productions says Tyson will take questions from the audience on Friday.

What do you dial up when you hit the karaoke bar? Do you roller-skate straight for the "Xanadu"? Do you break out the hair metal? Do you dream the impossible dream?

Whatever you sing, Oprah wants to hear it.

Well, gospel singer BeBe Winans does, anyway. On Oprah's behalf -- as announced on today's show -- Winans is hitting the road "American Idol"-style to find the best karaoke singers in America. It's Oprah's Karaoke Challenge.

You can also enter by submitting a two-minute video of yourself singing along with your favorite karaoke track. You can upload your video from now until 11:59 p.m. Oct. 19.

Several singers will be selected to perform on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

So start practicing. And take heed of Winans' 10 karaoke tips.

Here's a Beatles backing track to get you started ...

Losing $400 million can't be among her favorite things.

TV talk queen Oprah Winfrey's net worth is estimated at $2.3 billion, down $400 million from last year, according to Forbes magazine's 2009 list of the 400 richest Americans released this week.

Oprah is No. 141 on the list, up from No. 155 in 2008.

She was among 314 of those listed to see their net worth drop in the last year.

Microsoft Corp. co-founder Bill Gates keeps his spot at the top. This year, he's worth $50 billion, down by about $7 billion.

His buddy, Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Chairman Warren Buffett, stays in second. He's at $40 billion, down 20 percent from his 2008 listing.

Cheryl V. Jackson

Oprah's shaking hands, smiling wide, doing anything she can to help sell Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics.

She joined Mayor Daley, Michelle Obama and other dignitaries in Copenhagen this week for the last hard-sell opportunity before Friday's vote by the International Olympic Committee, selecting which city will host the games seven years from now. Chicago's competition is Madrid, Tokyo and Rio De Janeiro.

No time for jetlag, Oprah hit the ground running.

Oprah has held court in restaurants and posed for a hundred photos. She's stopped a good amount of traffic. She couldn't even go shopping in the Danish capital without creating a hubub, with Danes shouting, "Oprah! Oprah!"

She's certainly attracting attention, which is why she was asked to join the team. Hopefully, her own brand will lend glitz and glamor to the city's bid.

And she says she's willing to do her part.

"Whoever's there, I'll talk to them," Winfrey said.

The first lady arrived Wednesday and has spent much of her time meeting one-on-one with IOC members in a private suite at the official hotel. The sit-downs are brief but give her an opportunity to share her story -- she grew up on the city's South Side, near where most of the venues would be -- and assure IOC members that Chicago is sincere about its desire to use the Olympics to inspire children and transform their lives. It's the same message she gave Wednesday night at a dinner with Chicago supporters.

"I was moved," Winfrey said. "And they already had my vote."

She told CBS2 yesterday: ""Well, they just asked that I show up and be friendly, so that's not very hard for me. I think we're going to be meeting with some of the delegates tomorrow and have some conversations and tell them how great we are, and why there really is no other choice. But other than that, it really is about just heralding our city, as we all know how great it is. I'm sort of an ambassador."

And, on a final note, Conan O'Brien joked last night: "President Obama and Oprah Winfrey are going to Copenhagen together this week to push for Chicago to host the 2016 Olympics. The bad news is while they're gone the country's going to be run by Joe Biden and Jerry Springer."

Well, OK then. Mackenzie Phillips promised a bombshell on today's "Oprah" and ... kaboom!

She had sex with her father. A lot.

It's the hot button issue in the "One Day at a Time" star's new memoir, High on Arrival, which hits shelves today.

In the book, Mackenzie details how it began -- on the eve of her first marriage. She's 19 and about to marry Jeff Sessler, son of a member of the Rolling Stones' entourage, and her father, John Phillips (of the Mamas & the Papas), showed up talking about stopping the wedding.

"I had tons of pills, and Dad had tons of everything too. Eventually I passed out on Dad's bed," she writes. "My father was not a man with boundaries. He was full of love, and he was sick with drugs. I woke up that night from a blackout to find myself having sex with my own father. Had this happened before? I didn't know. All I can say is it was the first time I was aware of it. For a moment I was in my body, in that horrible truth, and then I slid back into a blackout."

That was 1979. The following year, Mackenzie's drug use got her fired from the sitcom "One Day at a Time." (Here's an interesting People article from 1980 about that situation.) She and her father both went into rehab, and then out on tour with his band. They continued their sexual relationship -- and it became consensual.

"One night Dad said, 'We could just run away to a country where no one would look down on us. There are countries where this is an accepted practice. Maybe Fiji.' He was completely delusional. 'No,' I thought, 'we're going to hell for this.' "

See photos of Mackenzie, John, Chynna and Bijou Phillips and more

Mackenzie and Sessler remained married until 1981. He died in 2005. John Phillips died of heart failure in 2001.

Mackenzie's sexual affair with her father, she says, lasted ... 10 years. It ended when she became pregnant and didn't know who had fathered the child. She had an abortion, which her father paid for, and "and I never let him touch me again."

John Phillips and MacKenzie during a taping of "The John Davidson Show" in 1981. (AP file)

In today's interview with Oprah, Mackenzie explains that her father also introduced her to the drug use that plagued her life for years to come. "My father shot me up for the first time," she said. Mackenzie was arrested as recently as October of last year, after being found at the Los Angeles airport with needles, cocaine and heroin. She was sent back to rehab.

She told Oprah that her siblings "definitely have a problem with this." Oprah also read a statement from Genevieve Waite, John Phillips' wife at the time of the alleged abuse and Mackenzie's stepmother that said he was "incapable, no matter how drunk or drugged he was, of having such a relationship with his own child."

Mackenzie's sister Chynna Phillips, 41, of the music group Wilson Phillips, tells Us Weekly today about the day she found out about the incestuous relationship. Mackenzie called her in 1997 while she was between flights at LaGuardia Airport in New York City: "She said, 'I don't know why, but I just really felt the need to call you and tell you something that I think you need to know.' And she went on to tell me that she had had an incestuous relationship with our dad for about 10 years. Somebody could have dropped a piano on my head and I probably wouldn't have felt it. But I knew it was true. I mean, who in their right mind would make such a claim if it wasn't true?"

At the end of her new book, Mackenzie writes: "It was, as I've said, a hard decision to reveal the sordid side of my relationship with my father. But these are complex, painful, heart-wrenching truths that infiltrate lives, many lives, not just mine. I can't be the only one. And I needed to tell that part of the story because I wanted to earn the right to talk about forgiveness."

In July, a Florida couple known for adopting 13 special-needs children were shot and killed in their home. The story caught the attention of Oprah, and though the couple's daughter has turned down numerous interview requests -- she's going to appear on "Oprah."

Ashley Markham, her husband and attorney will be in Chicago next week to tape an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

According to CBS: Her attorney says Oprah will focus on the family and their legacy, not the murders. Markham has turned down interview requests from the national media who wanted to focus on the crime.

Six men and a 16-year-old have pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the slayings.

Mackenzie Phillips is the guest on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" this Wednesday, and the teaser (above) promises that she -- child star, former drug addict, daughter of rock royalty -- will be revealing an "explosive," 31-year-old family secret.

Big surprise: She's also hawking a book that's published tomorrow, High on Arrival.

What do you think the secret will be?

Last week, Oprah announced her latest book club selection -- Uwem Akpan's debut collection of short stories, Say You're One Of Them -- on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

"This is a first for me because each one of these five stories really just left me gasping," she said in brief remarks toward the end of her show. "Just an incredible book."

The author was not on the show, but this week he remarked that he is "very, very humbled" to have his work selected for Oprah's reading club -- and what surely will amount to huge sales.

Akpan, 38, is a native of Nigeria and an ordained Jesuit priest who in 2006 received a master's degree in creative writing from the University of Michigan.

He told Reuters he's not working on another book right now because he's busy with church work.

"I have permission to write, but I do not need an imprimatur from the church -- that is more for people who are writing about theology and philosophy. They see that I am writing fiction and assume it is made up," he said.

"Don't forget that Jesus was a priest and a poet."

You thought the Michigan Avenue bash was a big deal? Check out Oprah's public taping of another episode this Friday -- in New York City's Central Park.

Guests on that outdoor show will be Regis Philbin and Kelly Ripa -- who will show up just moments after wrapping up their own morning talk show -- and Mariah Carey, who's expected to perform a song from her new album, "Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel."

Methinks Chicago got better guests. Regis and Kelly? Really? You're in New York and that's who you got? Maybe Oprah's clout is on the decline ...

Oprah also will announce her 63rd Book Club selection.

Apropos of maybe nothing, when Whitney Houston performed in Central Park for "Good Morning America" a few weeks ago, her voice cracked a little during one song -- and she blamed it on the amount of talking she'd done the day before in taping her interview with Oprah!

Oprah smiles as she arrives to the red carpet for the gala screening of "Precious" during the Toronto International Film Festival on Sunday. (AP)

Where in the world is Oprah Winfrey? This week she was in Toronto. Because even though producer Lee Daniels has an Oscar-winning movie to his credit, he still needed some big-time help to draw attention to his latest film about a girl who overcomes crushing abuse.

So who do you call? Oprah Winfrey and Tyler Perry: The two are executive producers of "Precious: Based on the Novel 'Push' by Sapphire" (really, what's up with that silly, legalese title?), which had a premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival over the weekend.

In an interview with the Associated Press, Winfrey said she was happy to help bring more attention to the film. "Everyone needs someone to help them navigate," the TV talk show host explained. "I had Bill Cosby, Quincy Jones, Sidney Poitier and Maya Angelou who I look to. You can't do that on your own. Someone has to show it to you."

Of course, Oprah seized the opportunity not only to attend and be seen, but to chronicle the event. Her own camera crews were tagging along, getting footage for an upcoming edition of "The Oprah Winfrey Show" about the movie.

You can already watch the trailer for the film on the Oprah site.

Oprah and Tyler Perry arrive at the screening of the film "Precious" during the Toronto International Film Festival. (AP)

In TV, 24 years is an awfully long time. "The Oprah Winfrey Show" having been on the air that long can't help but struggle to stay on top. And an Associated Press story this week illuminates that -- despite the hubub we've experienced here in Chicago, with the Mag Mile shut-down, plus the big Whitney Houston interview and more -- Oprah's show has slipped 7 percent in the ratings. Like so many other daytime programs right now.

The story concludes that one of the reasons for the slight decline is that the once apolitical Oprah began showing her personal allegiances:

By endorsing Barack Obama and campaigning for him, she shucked her apolitical image. Winfrey's book club selection of Eckhart Tolle's New Age religion book A New Earth angered some conservative Christians -- even though Winfrey's producer said Winfrey was careful not to push Tolle's views on viewers through the television show.

The New York Times commented on the situation, quoting itself from an analysis during the campaign:

She is, without a doubt, the most powerful endorsement in pop culture. Her book club can turn obscure novels into immediate hits, and anything she endorses on her annual "Favorite Things" show becomes impossible to find. But that's because in her contract with her audience, she never has a piece of what she is pushing. Her interest is your interest because she is not for sale.

After her endorsement of Mr. Obama, however, the message boards on Oprah.com are alive with allegations of "betrayal" and "sellout." Mr. Obama's base may have been engaged, but part of Ms. Winfrey's base is livid.

Even on this blog, you'll still find comments of that tone. When Oprah remarked how "stunned" she was at the backlash to Obama's health-care speech, comments included the suggestion that she is "infatuated with this man [and has] little objectivity."

Nearly a year past the Obama campaign, what's your perspective? Did Oprah's siding with the president influence your opinion of her -- or your viewing habits?

First, word came that first lady Michelle Obama would go to Copenhagen next month to promote Chicago's bid for the 2016 Olympics. (President Obama, no surprise, said she was our "best representative.") Now, another fashionable, famous pillar of city pride might make the case before the Olympic committee: Oprah.

Oprah was asked Sunday whether she'd be up for the trip to lobby for the games, and told the Tribune: "There's some talk about it, and if I feel I can be useful there, then that's what I will do."

Adds NBC Chicago: "Of course, Chicago 2016 Chief Executive Patrick Ryan said his team would 'absolutely' like to have Winfrey on board."

Can the Wonder Twins snare the big bid?

Tuesday night from her massive stage in the middle of Michigan Avenue, Oprah Winfrey joked to the thousands in the throng that she'd like to pour everyone a tequila shot. The legalities of drinking in public, however, prevented her from playing barkeep.

"Nice party," Winfrey said. "We just need a few tequila shots. Believe me, I wanted you to have 'em but I'd end up being sued a time or two."

Earlier that afternoon, however, Oprah previewed the evening taping of her show -- a stunt to kick off the 24th season of her Chicago-based daytime talk show -- in an interview with Eric & Kathy on WTMX (101.9 FM). Even then she said she was hankerin' for a shot -- lime, no salt -- because, she said, that's how you know it's a party.

She promised to do tequila shots with Eric & Kathy after the big Mag Mile event, and apparently it was indeed a party. Kathy Hart took the photo above of Miss O and Eric Ferguson following through at one of the clubs in the new Trump International Hotel & Tower hours after the big show.

Allegedly, this is the tequila Oprah enjoys. And here's hoping they later feasted on the Tequila-Lime Chicken Brochettes from Oprah.com.

What would you do to throw back a few shots with Oprah? The conga line starts over by Dr. Oz's table ...