Although Oprah may be the mother to us all, she has her own mom too, named Vernita Lee, and she passed away on Thanksgiving day at the age of 83. Oprah's spokesperson says that a private funeral has already taken place. Although Oprah herself has not commented on her mother's passing, she has posted on her Instagram since then, giving fans a look at the chef Kenny G, the guy who prepares the turkey for her thanksgiving dinner and sharing a touching video of the thanksgiving welcome people receive at the Oprah mansion. The video's comments are full of messages of condolence from longtime Oprah fans:
Vernita Lee has, along with Oprah, three other kids, two of whom have already passed away. Oprah's one remaining sibling, Patricia, was put up for adoption when she was born but reconnected with her biological family later in life. Vernita, who was forced to live separately from Oprah, working a job in Milwaukee to support the family, said of her daughter: "“I loved her the way that she loves people now,” and that even though their family has seen loss, “I’m a Christian lady, and if you’re a Christian person, it helps you to deal with situations like that.” Watch an interview of Vernita Lee below: