Overview
- This week Winfrey told Emmy Magazine that she does not bear responsibility for the later political choices of Dr. Phil McGraw and Dr. Mehmet Oz, saying, “Everybody has their own path in life, and it has not one thing to do with me.”
- She explained she booked McGraw after he supported her during a 1998 Texas defamation trial and that Gayle King introduced Oz because he could explain medical topics in plain terms.
- Both men used Oprah’s audience to build national brands and later aligned with President Donald Trump, with McGraw serving on the Religious Liberty Commission and Oz appointed administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services in 2025.
- Their public roles have long been controversial: McGraw has faced guest‑exploitation and workplace allegations and let his license lapse, and Oz has been criticized for promoting dubious medical claims and for policy moves since joining the administration.
- The interview has renewed questions about how influential hosts shape who becomes a trusted public expert, reviving the conversation about the so‑called Oprah effect and what responsibility media gatekeepers owe to public trust in experts.