Oprah Winfrey has denied claims that she advised Prince Harry and Meghan Markle to take a step back as senior members of the royal family and go out on their own.
"I care about them both and support whatever decisions they make for their family," she told People in an interview published Friday, but said the pair "do not need my help figuring out what’s best for them."
Winfrey, who attended the couple's wedding, is speaking out amid reports that she contributed towards Meghan and Harry's decision to "break free" and work to "become financially independent" by building their own brand, which has allegedly been trademarked on more than 100 properties in the UK and includes clothing, photographs, stationery and more.
An unnamed source sparked the rumors after claiming Oprah was the first person to talk to Harry and Meghan about the decision.
"She made them realize it was really possible," the source said, according to Fox News.
Meghan and Harry shocked the world when they announced via Instagram their intentions.
"We now plan to balance our time between the United Kingdom and North America, continuing to honour our duty to The Queen, the Commonwealth, and our patronages," they posted in a combined statement.
"This geographic balance will enable us to raise our son with an appreciation for the royal tradition into which he was born, while also providing our family with the space to focus on the next chapter, including the launch of our new charitable entity."
Since making the revelation, several prominent names including the Obamas, George and Amal Clooney and Serena Williams have reached out to Meghan and Harry.
Meghan’s designer Misha Nonoo, whose husband happens to be oil mogul Michael Hess, has meanwhile extended an open invitation to the couple to stay at one of their three homes in the gated Malibu Colony, Fox News said.
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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