Oprah vs. Jonathan Franzen

Oprah's Famous Feuds

Let's call the Oprah-Franzen brawl the "Franzen feud"—which, of course, is not to be mistaken with this year's feminist franzenfreude. In 2001, when Jonathan Franzen's wildly popular novel The Corrections was selected for Oprah's Book Club, Franzen, though not entirely bothered by the book's selection, was not necessarily happy about it, either. "She's picked some good books," Franzen said of Oprah in an interview posted on Powells.com, "but she's picked enough schmaltzy, one-dimensional ones that I cringe." Salon.com's Laura Miller described the novelist's slight this way: "Oprah's selection of The Corrections was a bold, generous choice for a book that is also bold and generous. If the author has on this occasion lacked the nerve and imagination of his creation, well, writers are human beings, too, and sometimes they screw up. The books are what matter, if we could just manage to remember that."

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Oprah's Famous F... Even after their very public row, Oprah picked Jonathan Franzen's new novel for her book club. Despite -- or perhaps because -- she is a much-revered talk show host, Oprah Winfrey has had many feuds during her time on television. The Daily Beast took a look at some of her best ones.

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Oprah vs. Angeli... Think taking sides in celebrity tabloid sagas has no consequence? Think again. Oprah thought that Angelina Jolie, for all her charity work in Africa, would be happy to help promote Oprah's school for girls in South Africa. It was not to be. Oprah was publicly on Team Aniston when Brad Pitt broke up with Jen for Jolie. Oprah declared "it's the last time she'll ask Angelina to help with any of her causes," a source told Star.

(Photo credit: Associated Press)
Oprah vs. Jonath... Let's call the Oprah-Franzen brawl the "Franzen feud"—which, of course, is not to be mistaken with this year's feminist franzenfreude. In 2001, when Jonathan Franzen's wildly popular novel The Corrections was selected for Oprah's Book Club, Franzen, though not entirely bothered by the book's selection, was not necessarily happy about it, either. "She's picked some good books," Franzen said of Oprah in an interview posted on Powells.com, "but she's picked enough schmaltzy, one-dimensional ones that I cringe." Salon.com's Laura Miller described the novelist's slight this way: "Oprah's selection of The Corrections was a bold, generous choice for a book that is also bold and generous. If the author has on this occasion lacked the nerve and imagination of his creation, well, writers are human beings, too, and sometimes they screw up. The books are what matter, if we could just manage to remember that."

(Photo credit: Associated Press)
Oprah vs. Michel... Oprah "had no idea that Michelle was so jealous about the influence she had on Barack," a "friend" told The National Enquirer. The first lady "hated the way her husband would huddle with Oprah over strategy and jump when she called… The jealousy and anger was eating up Michelle. During the campaign, she vowed Oprah would not be a part of the new administration." And thus the talk-show host was frozen out of the president's inner circle, the tabloid claims. Oprah had hoped to be a regular visitor to the White House, and maybe even redecorate the Lincoln Bedroom, but no such luck. By late 2009, Oprah had visited the White House twice.

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Oprah vs. James ... The fray over Frey began when Winfrey picked his memoir A Million Little Pieces as the September 2005 selection for her book club. The work topped The New York Times' bestsellers list shortly thereafter. But the more Frey and his work were subjected to scrutiny, the more it became clear the writer had fabricated parts of his memoir—like the key scene, in which he was arrested. Unluckily for him, Oprah's payback was a you-know-what. Frey returned to the show to apologize publicly, and a no-nonsense Oprah told it like it was: "I feel you betrayed millions of readers." She wasn't content, however, just to chastise Frey. She brought on the book's publisher, Nan Talese, and got him to admit that he had never fact-checked the memoir.

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Oprah vs. Kitty ... Kitty Kelley spent three years and 850 interviews on her unauthorized Oprah biography, released this spring. Kelley said that despite her book's juicy revelations, she couldn't get Barbara Walters, Larry King, Rachael Ray, or Charlie Rose to give her an interview. "Even David Letterman, who's had a 16-year feud with her, said ‘I don't really want to disrupt the relationship I now have with her," Kelley said. Oprah responded to Kelley's book only indirectly, at an awards show where she honored her longtime friend Gayle King. Confessing she'd had a busy week thanks to the publication of "my so-called biography," Oprah said, "Gayle got herself worked out with all my new daddies coming out," a reference to Kelley's claim that Vernon Winfrey isn't her biological father. "This, too, shall pass."

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Oprah vs. Joan R... Joan Rivers reportedly told friends that she wished she'd been contacted by Oprah biographer Kitty Kelley—she could have offered some real dirt. "Oprah—if she don't need you, she don't know you!" an unnamed friend quoted Rivers as saying, in The National Enquirer. The friend said Rivers thinks the talk-show host is "completely opportunistic," and her "real gift is exploiting people's suffering and emotions and turning them into TV ratings."

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Oprah vs. Whoopi... Oprah snubbed Whoopi Goldberg four years ago when Oprah hosted her Legends Ball to honor successful black women and didn't invite the comedian. Both parties said there was no dispute between them, but Whoopi's absence felt significant, given that the pair worked together on The Color Purple and that far lesser stars like Brandy and Audra McDonald showed up.

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Oprah vs. Rachel... A little drink has been the downfall of so many. Rachael Ray was having dinner with friends in a Los Angeles restaurant and, after reportedly downing four glasses of red wine, got a little loose-lipped about Oprah, who runs her show's syndication company. Ray started complaining about Oprah, talking about a portrait of the talk-show host that hangs in the lobby of Harpo Productions in Chicago. In the picture, Oprah faces away from the camera, her back exposed and covered with (fake) scars, while wearing a pre-Civil War-style skirt. "Why is she wearing slave drag?" Ray blabbed. "She obviously has problems being black." Ray's camp denied she made the comments.

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Get more from th... Click here to see more people who have feuded with Oprah.