Look back: 25 great 'Oprah' moments

Image 21 of 26

Oprah WinfreyLiberace's last TV appearance (1986)Racism in Forsyth County (1987)Oprah sheds light on the AIDS crisis (1987)'Diet Dreams Come True' (1988)Michael Jackson interview (1993)Oprah's Book Club launches (1996)Oprah's mad cow problem (1996)Ellen DeGeneres comes out as a lesbian (1997)Oprah and Dr. Phil (1998)The Mattie Stepanek interview (2001)Oprah's 'Favorite Things' episode (2002)Oprah and Dr. Oz (2004)The brand-new car giveaway (2004)Tom Cruise loves Katie Holmes (2005)Tracey Gold comes clean (2005)Oprah Winfrey endorses Barack Obama (2006)James Frey is in the hot seat (2006)Roadtrip! (2006)Oprah reveals 'The Secret' (2007)Tommy Hilfiger and the racist rumor (2007)Pregnant man Thomas Beatie (2008)Mackenzie Phillips talks about incestuous relationship (2009)Surprise flash mob featuring the Black Eyed Peas (2009)Sarah Palin visits Oprah (2009)Sarah Ferguson opens up about bribery scandal (2010)

It's the racism rumor that wouldn't go away. Though Oprah <a href="http://www.hoax-slayer.com/tommy-hilfiger-rumour.html">first denied it on Jan. 11, 1999</a>, for years, an Internet-spread rumor went unchecked that said Oprah had asked clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger if he had said that his clothes were not made for minorities (specifically "African Americans, Hispanics, Jews and Asians"), and that he said yes. It was not true, and Hilfiger had never even been on the show. The designer hired FBI agents and more to find the source of the rumor, to no avail. <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x20hvs_tommy-hilfiger-on-tv-proves-rumors_people">Winfrey finally did have him on the show in May 2, 2007,</a> to clear up the whole ugly mess.

Tommy Hilfiger and the racist rumor (2007)

( Oprah.com )

It's the racism rumor that wouldn't go away. Though Oprah first denied it on Jan. 11, 1999, for years, an Internet-spread rumor went unchecked that said Oprah had asked clothing designer Tommy Hilfiger if he had said that his clothes were not made for minorities (specifically "African Americans, Hispanics, Jews and Asians"), and that he said yes. It was not true, and Hilfiger had never even been on the show. The designer hired FBI agents and more to find the source of the rumor, to no avail. Winfrey finally did have him on the show in May 2, 2007, to clear up the whole ugly mess.

Comments are filtered for language and registration is required. The Times makes no guarantee of comments' factual accuracy. Readers may report inappropriate comments by clicking the Report Abuse link next to a comment. Here are the full legal terms you agree to by using this comment form.