Howard Stern addresses Oprah ‘feud’ after years of criticism: ‘I love Oprah’

Howard Stern has shared where he currently stands with former TV host Oprah Winfrey.

The 71-year-old radio host was asked how he felt about Winfrey, whom he previously criticized for showing off her wealth, during a recent interview with Andy Cohen on the SiriusXM show, Andy Cohen Live.

“I think about who are Howard Stern’s kind of enemies at this point, or punching bags,” Cohen said. “And I get the sense that you’ve either publicly or privately kind of mended fences with them, but it seems like Oprah might be the only kind of Howard Stern foe or enemy that you still have?”

However, Stern quickly chimed in to debunk that claim.

“No, I love Oprah…I follow Oprah. I enjoy watching Oprah,” he said, despite acknowledging that he’s “never” spoken to Winfrey.

Stern does, however, know Winfrey’s longtime friend Gayle King.

“I think at one point [King] suggested, ‘Oh, we should get together with Oprah.’ I said, ‘You better check with Oprah. You better. Don't surprise her with me.’” Stern added.

While Stern didn’t entirely rule out the possibility of a sit-down with the former daytime talk show host in the future, he seemed unsure whether she would agree to it, ultimately advising against it.

“Oprah doesn't need it. You know what? I'm gonna advise Oprah: Stay away from me, because you don't need it,” he concluded.

Their rumored feud dates back to 2004 when the Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation into Winfrey’s show, after receiving “more than a few complaints” about possible indecent or obscene programming, according to the New York Post.

Some of the complaints were generated by Stern, whose show was pulled from six radio stations shortly before the investigation amid similar complaints.

“If they fine me, they gotta fine Oprah - the darling of the world,” Stern said at the time.

However, the investigation did not result in any fines against Winfrey.

Then, in 2022, Stern criticized Winfrey for showing off her home, bluntly stating at the time that she’s “not embarrassed by her wealth at all.”

“She loves showing it off on Instagram. It’s f***ing mindblowing when you follow her on Instagram, you see her estates, her gardens, the people who service her,” he said during an episode of his self-titled radio show, The Howard Stern Show.

His co-host Robin Quivers joked, “Service her? She’s not a car.”

“Well, she kind of is,” Stern responded. “She’s got servants and like people cooking and it’s f***king wild. She knows how to be rich… but she kind of likes to show it off, which is something I’m not comfortable with. I don’t think that people should show off their wealth.”

Speaking to Cohen, Stern addressed those old comments.

“Maybe she is aware, but I suspect, I'm an Oprah follower, but sometimes she's unaware of the sort of way she shows her wealth,” Stern told Cohen. “I'm not saying that she's wrong. We all know she's wealthy. But I think in the world right now, there is such a disparity between those who have and those who have not. And it's only getting worse… so I find it funny.”

“And I'm not gonna sit there and tell you I don't think it's funny. I go, ‘Wow, Oprah is unapologetically wealthy,’ and good for her. But I don't hate Oprah at all,” he added. “I think she's brilliant.”