'I want her to be the best she can possibly be': Stedman Graham says he is 'dedicated' to Oprah's happiness - and argues she'd make a good president because 'she's smart' and 'works very, very hard'
- The 68-year-old educator and author opened up about his 33-year relationship Oprah Winfrey, 65
- He told Ellen DeGeneres: 'I've been able to find my own happiness, and to find my own skills, my own talents, my own abilities, and I'm satisfied with that'
- Stedman added that he thinks Oprah would make a good president
- The couple has been together for over three decades, having met at a charity event in 1986
- Despite their long-lasting relationship, the couple decided not to get married
Stedman Graham says one of the secrets to his 33-year-long relationship with Oprah Winfrey is that he is 'dedicated' to the TV mogul's happiness.
The 68-year-old educator, author, motivational speaker and businessman spoke to Ellen DeGeneres on Friday, saying that their partnership is so successful because he 'wants the best' for Oprah, 65.
'Well, the thing about our relationship is that I want the best for her,' he said. 'I'm dedicated to her happiness, so that's great for her. I want her to be the best she can possibly be, and she's done a pretty good job of doing that.'
Opening up: Stedman Graham (L) spoke about his 33 year relationship with TV mogul and talk-show host Oprah Winfrey, 65, to Ellen DeGeneres (R) on Friday, May 31
Caring: The 68-year-old educator, author and motivational speaker said he is 'dedicated' to Oprah's happiness, adding that he wants her to be 'the best she can possibly be'
Stedman and Oprah first bet at a charity event in 1986 — the same year the Oprah Winfrey Show debuted.
Lovers: The happy couple (pictured in 1995) have been together for over three decades, after meeting at a charity event in 1986
He explained that in order to maintain a successful relationship — particularly when one partner is a super-famous media mogul — the two people involved must find their own personal happiness, before they can be happy together.
He said: 'So, for me, I've been able to find my own happiness, and to find my own skills, my own talents, my own abilities, and I'm satisfied with that. I'm happy with that.
'And so the combination — when you have a good partner who is able to self-actualize their potential and you're able to self-actualize yours, you know, one and one equals about six,' he added.
Ellen also asked Stedman his thoughts on Oprah running for president — something many fans began calling for after she delivered a rousing speech at the Golden Globe Awards last year.
Stedman answered that he thinks she'd be great at the job.
'Oh yes. You can trust her, number one. She's smart. She has a photographic memory. She works very, very hard,' he said. 'So she has the qualifications to do it. And she's very successful.'
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Considerate: 'I want her to be the best she can possibly be, and she's done a pretty good job of doing that,' Stedman, pictured with Oprah in the 90s, said
Love: 'I've been able to find my own happiness, and to find my own skills, my own talents, my own abilities, and I'm satisfied with that,' Stedman, pictured with Oprah in 2018, said
This isn't the first time he has opened up about his endless support for his partner of 33 years.
Back in 2015, Stedman said he isn't threatened by Oprah's incredible successes in life, when he appeared in a segment that aired on The Own network.
'We want each other to succeed,' he said. 'I want her to succeed and be as successful as she possibly can, so I encourage that.
'That's not always an easy thing to do when you're a man in a relationship with a very powerful woman, and so, I'm not threatened by her fame or her success or her money or all of that — that's who she is.
'It has nothing to do with how I define myself,' he added.
Despite being together for 33 years, the couple decided not to marry. Speaking to Vogue in 2017, Oprah said she doesn't think her relationship with the author would be the same if they had tied the knot.
She said the marriage wasn't even an option for the couple, having being engaged in 1992 and ultimately deciding to call it off.
'Nobody believes it, but it's true,' she said, 'The only time I brought it up was when I said to Stedman, "What would have happened if we had actually gotten married?"
Success: Pictured in 2015, Stedman previously said he isn't threatened by Oprah's success, as he said: 'I want her to succeed and be as successful as she possibly can, so I encourage that'
Happiness: Pictured in 2013 (L) and 2014 (R), Stedman said Oprah's successes have 'nothing to do' with how he defines himself. 'That's who she is,' he said
Partnership: Despite being together for years, the couple (seen in 1998) didn't tie the knot, as Oprah revealed in 2017 she doesn't think they would still be together if they had tied the knot
'And the answer is: "We wouldn't be together." We would not have stayed together, because marriage requires a different way of being in this world.
'His interpretation of what it means to be a husband and what it would mean for me to be a wife would have been pretty traditional, and I would not have been able to fit into that,' she added.
She also reiterated her feelings about marriage in 2013, saying she made the decision by choosing to not get married.
According to News.com.au, she told Access Hollywood: 'If you ever interviewed him, he would tell you that had we married, we would not be together today.
'Because he's a traditional man and this is a very untraditional relationship,' she added.
The talk-show host also said she didn't want the title of a 'wife'.
She explained: 'I think it’s acceptable as a relationship, but if I had the title "wife," I think there would be other expectations for what a wife is and what a wife does.
'First of all, you've got to come home sometimes,' she added.
- https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/celebrity-life/oprah-winfrey-reveals-why-she-has-never-8212-and-will-never-marry-stedman/news-story/0c7a290372f2b947a476652c54c4ec2d
- Oprah Winfrey on her relationship with Stedman Graham, Fame and Depression - Vogue
- A Rare Glimpse Into Oprah and Stedman's Relationship | The Oprah Winfrey Show | OWN - YouTube
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