Oprah Winfrey has a tight-knit circle of friends.
Three friends, to be exact.
The talk show host and philanthropist made the reveal on Hoda Kotb’s podcast “Making Space" carried by Audacy. She was joined by Maria Shriver, whom Winfrey claims is one of the three close friends in her life.
During the chat, the two actresses shared plenty of memories that proved the depth of their bond.
Winfrey met Shriver 42 years ago in a Baltimore TV station bathroom one morning.
"I forever think that that was, like, a divine moment that happened,” Winfrey explained, adding, “because she was one of my true, grounded friendships that carried me through my entire career."
The two dug deeper into their long-term friendship and the little things they do for each other, including Oprah bringing Shriver a cup of coffee.
"It was so moving to me because... that’s not how I grew up, you know? Nobody brought a cup of coffee, or a cup of water to me. In a funny way, even though I had a very close relationship with my mother, I wasn't nurtured, mothered in that way, right? And (Oprah) wasn't mothered in her own way. But I think, in a way, we have mothered each other," Shriver opened up.
So who are the others fortunate enough to call Oprah a "bestie"?
"Everybody knows Gayle (King). There's Gayle, there's Maria, there's Bob (Greene). And that's, that's about it, you know?" she noted.
Orpah got vulnerable as she recalled the anxiety surrounding the launch of her OWN network, a period she called "a humiliation for me."
"Every newspaper, everybody was saying, 'You shoulda kept your day job. The struggling OWN. What'd you leave The Oprah Show for? It's a disaster.' Just one story, after another story, after another story," she said. “I remember laying my head down on the table, Maria, and just sobbing."
The two also recounted how Shriver planned a surprise visit from singer Snatam Kaur to sing the pals’ favorite song, “By the Grace,” to cheer Oprah up.
Shriver recalled her own rough path after the death of her mother, Eunice Kennedy Shriver. Winfrey was there for her and gathered her close friends to her home to be “Team Maria.” Each friend chose a word for Shriver and engraved it on a crystal stone. Winfrey's word was "cherish."
"Because I don't feel like, in my life, I was cherished,” Shriver admitted. “Pushed, motivated -- you know, all of these, kind of, really strong words -- but not cherished."
As the two summed things up their long friendship, Winfrey said the best part of getting older is having nothing left to prove.
"Anything you do,” said Oprah, “you choose to do it because it's going to bring you pleasure, meaning, enjoyment, fulfill some kind of purpose that you want, or desire. But you have nothing to prove. Nothing to prove 'cause you already proved it."
Will Hoda earn a spot on the exclusive list?
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