Oprah Winfrey set the record straight regarding allegations she “smacked” renowned cook Ina Garten—not once, but twice.
Garten claimed that Oprah “smacked” her twice on the arm for saying she was lucky in her memoir.
The Emmy winner finally confronted the former Food Network Chef about something she wrote in her No. 1 New York Times best-seller, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens.”
In this episode of ”The Oprah Podcast,” released on Christmas Eve, the two friends discussed one of the deeply personal stories from Garten’s no-holds-barred memoir.
The incident in question occurred at the prestigious 2010 Matrix Awards, where luminaries including Sheryl Crow, Tina Fey, and Oprah’s best friend, Gayle King, were also being honored.
During her 90-second acceptance speech for the New York Women in Communications’ Matrix Award, Garten reflected on her journey.
“I’d been really lucky in my life,” she had told the audience. This statement prompted an unexpected reaction from Oprah.
According to Garten’s account, the media mogul took issue with her attribution of success to luck.
“I spoke about how lucky I was at each phase of my career because it seemed whatever I was most interested in doing was exactly what the world wanted at the time,” she writes. “I was lucky that I was interested in food and cookbooks at a time when the world was interested in food and cookbooks. I was lucky that Food Network was looking for home cooks when they found me, and lucky that they refused to take no for an answer. Lucky.”
“[Oprah] smacked me on the arm in front of like 2,000 people and said, ‘You make your own luck,'” Garten revealed.
The 76-year-old then described how she attempted to defend her position about being “incredibly lucky,” only to receive another “smack” from the former talk show host.
But during the podcast conversation, Winfrey offered a different recollection.
“I didn’t remember that it was the Matrix Awards, but I remember having a discussion… and I didn’t remember slapping you… I don’t remember slapping you,” the “Six Triple Eight” star stated.
As the two friends joked about the exchange. Garten resigned, “Maybe it was a love tap,” before the powerful Chicagoan explained her perspective.
“In my mind, you were already an iconic figure and a powerful woman. In your acceptance speech, you mentioned luck and luck and luck. I come from the believe that luck is preparation meeting the moment of opportunity,” she recalled of the 2010 moment.
Garten’s memoir title, “Be Ready When the Luck Happens,” seems to suggest she had come to appreciate Winfrey’s viewpoint over the years.
But the shocking revelations in Garten’s memoir didn’t stop with the Oprah incident.
Her comments about Martha Stewart raised eyebrows for some. Garten suggested their friendship cooled down when Stewart relocated to Connecticut after serving prison time for conspiracy and obstruction of justice.
Stewart hesitantly disputed this claim during an appearance on “Watch What Happens Live” with Andy Cohen.
“That’s not true … After I went to jail,” she stated definitively.
The moment was punctuated by an unexpected interjection from Snoop Dogg, Stewart’s unlikely best friend, who quipped, “That’s when I stepped in.”
During an appearance on "WWHL," Martha Stewart slammed Ina Garten’s feud claims — and even Snoop Dogg came to her defense. https://t.co/4CjrjZCgLF pic.twitter.com/BtceQ5bJ1M
— New York Post (@nypost) October 21, 2024
Cohen added his own comedic timing, “When one friend goes out the door, another friend comes in the door.”
The Martha Stewart Living founder’s 2004 conviction on felony charges had indeed sent shock waves through her personal and professional relationships. The ImClone Systems stock scandal resulted in a five-month federal prison sentence, marking a dramatic turn in her career trajectory.
As Garten’s memoir continues its impressive 11-week run on the New York Times Best Sellers list, both Winfrey and Stewart have publicly contested some of the ways they were characterized in the book, offering different recollections of the events described.
While Stewart might not be interested in being friends with Garten again, it doesn’t seem Oprah has any ill feelings toward her, including her book in her highly successful and impactful book club.
