Everything Oprah Winfrey is doing to stop documentary about herself

Oprah Winfrey has reportedly reclaimed the rights to an upcoming documentary about her life.

The documentary, which was first announced in 2021, was set to be directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Kevin Macdonald under a deal with Apple. However, recent developments suggest that Oprah requested changes to the film which Macdonald did not agree to. 

A Hollywood source told Page Six, “Kevin completed the film, but Oprah wasn’t satisfied with it, and Macdonald refused to make the changes. Oprah then paid back her fee to Apple.”

According to the report, Macdonald, who had collaborated with Winfrey’s long-time producer Lisa Erspamer on the project, had a falling out with Winfrey after filming concluded, leading to a halt in the project.

As the content deal with Apple TV+ came to an end in September 2022, a spokesperson for Winfrey confirmed, “Ms. Winfrey bought back the rights to her docu-series and has since decided to put the project on hold.”

Another insider from Winfrey's team clarified that Macdonald did not refuse to make edits and that Winfrey simply felt it wasn't the right time for the documentary. “Ms. Winfrey appreciates the talent and effort of Lisa Erspamer and Kevin Macdonald and is grateful for their work,” the source said.

There have been rumors about Winfrey paying a significant sum to Apple TV+ for the docu-series, but a knowledgeable source denied that it involved a seven-figure amount.