Over the years, millions of people have looked to Oprah Winfrey for relationship advice. One possible reason, aside from the obvious Oprah brand of all-knowing wisdom? She and her partner, Stedman Graham, have been together for over 30 years. During that time, they've been the subject of several marriage rumors, but not a single one of them have been true. Despite never being married, they're still as happy and in love as they've always been. What's the secret?
For Winfrey, the secret is simply forgoing the marriage vows.
She revealed to Vogue that there was a time way back in the '90s when marriage was on the table for these two. But, life, as it tends to do, got in the way, and they've barely spoken about it since.
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"Nobody believes it, but it’s true. The only time I brought it up was when I said to Stedman, ‘What would have happened if we had actually gotten married?’" she recalled. "And the answer is: 'We wouldn’t be together.'"
Marriage is seen as a crucial step in someone's life story, but it's just not the case for many people. Even those in a committed relationships, like Winfrey and Graham, may not be fit for marriage.
"We would not have stayed together, because marriage requires a different way of being in this world," the OWN Network CEO said. "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."
If Winfrey had gotten married all those years ago, would we have gotten another 20 years of her iconic talk show? Would she even have the OWN Network, with shows like Queen Sugar captivating our imaginations? She doesn't think so. Without marriage, Winfrey is able to have it all.
Winfrey and Graham are an awesome modern example that marriage isn't necessary for a fulfilling life. You can be happy with or without a wedding. These two are doing perfectly fine without.
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