Oprah Winfrey got candid with reporters about what love means to her on the pink carpet of the Los Angeles premiere of OWN's new series Love Is_. The media mogul and entrepreneur said the story behind the series instantly drew her.
Love Is_ is inspired by the love story of screenwriter and producer Mara Brock Akil and her husband, director and producer Salim Akil. The pair married in 1999 after meeting on the set of '90s sitcom Moesha. During the premiere, Winfrey told reporters she was nearly instantly sold on bringing Love Is_ to OWN.
"Mara walked in with this story about her actual courtship with Salim and before she even finished the pitch, I said: ‘Yes I’m in,'” Winfrey said, Variety reported. “I think the intimacy, the tenderness, the true affection, the real trust and the most important — wanting you to be the best you can — that’s what real love is, and I’m so excited for people to see it play out in a way that they will absolutely recognize.”
According to The Root's Danielle Young, Winfrey also added that Love Is_ provides gaps in some black love stories today for its "levels of complexity."
“The thing that’s missing from black love stories that I’ve seen, other than Queen Sugar, of course … is what we started about two years ago with Queen Sugar. The reason people love it so much is a sense of intimacy…
It’s not all just some sweet beginning and ending, but you learn to be upset and learn to be angry, and learn what it means to gain trust in someone becaue that’s what’s real; and learn what it means to be disappointed, angry without having to cuss somebody out, and then finding a way back to each other, and building trust so you can have a really strong relationship based on real intimacy, not just sex— [it’s] the intimacy, the tenderness, the true affection, the real trust and, most importantly, wanting you to be the best you can. I want you to be the best you can; that’s what real love is.
I want you the best for you, no matter what. That’s what love is and why I’m so excited. People get to see it in a way that literally, they will recognize themselves.”
Winfrey also opened up about the journey of her personal love life. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Winfrey said she found her first love at 16 years old.
"Anthony Odie!" she said. "It’s actually in my journal, which is now at the Smithsonian, so you can prove it. [It says], 'My dad doesn’t want me to see, date Anthony Odie. He doesn’t understand what true love is.'"
She then shared an extremely relatable story about heartbreak in her twenties with Vibe. Winfrey once wrote letters to a man she experienced heartbreak over.
“Whew! I’m so glad I didn’t send them,” Winfrey said.” I actually shed tears for the woman I used to be.”
As for Brock Akil, she explained that although sharing pieces of her and her husband's courtship made them "vulnerable," they ultimately decided it was time to be "brave."
"… There are some vulnerable moments, and they’re brave," she said, THR reported. "But I think it’s time to be brave. There have been a lot of brave moments for me as an artist trying to get closer and closer to the truth and not hide. I also think it’s been a breakthrough for me as a writer as well because sometimes you’re taking your life experience and try to give it to other characters and other projects, but here it’s just, 'Let’s just go for it.'"
Love Is_ is set to premiere on OWN on June 19, Deadline reported.
