Oprah Winfrey's brutally honest response to claims she walked like a '90-year-old' during PFW appearance


Oprah revealed why she struggled to walk when she attended the Chloé fashion show during Paris Fashion Week on March 5 with Gayle King


photo of oprah wearin gwhite and holding a mic© Getty Images
Jenni McKnight
Jenni McKnightUS Lifestyle Editor
March 16, 2026
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Oprah Winfrey put trolls firmly in their place when she responded to claims she "walked like she was 90" during an appearance at Paris Fashion Week earlier this month.

The 72-year-old was pictured at the Chloé fashion show at the Tennis Club de Paris alongside her good friend, Gayle King, on March 5, and the pair quickly went viral when clips of their arrival spread on social media.

Oprah looked incredible in a cream ruffled blouse, a cropped tan suede jacket, and high-waisted, wide-legged jeans.

However, it was clips of her and Gayle appearing unsteady on their feet as they cautiously walked the red carpet that sent tongues wagging.

Some people online claimed they looked "disoriented" and "stiff," while others said Oprah and Gail appeared older than their years.

After seeing the criticism online, Oprah set the record straight about her apparent '90-year-old' walk and revealed it had nothing to do with her age, but an accessory instead. 

photo of oprah winfrey in cropped jacket and shades pfw© Getty Images
Oprah revealed her sunglasses were the reason behind her '90-year-old' walk

"On the internet, you know how some people drag me on the internet. So, they were dragging me and Gayle saying, 'Look at them, walking like they're 90 years old," she said during a recent break from filming in a clip shared by @jznotthatjayz and later reposted to her Instagram Stories.

"There was a moment we were walking into the Chloé fashion show, and my stylist had just handed me the Chloé sunglasses before I got out of the car.

View post on Instagram
 

"Now, I wear glasses, or I wear contacts, so those were not prescription glasses, so I didn't know where I was walking. I could not see," she revealed.

"So, everybody who's saying you're walking like you're 90 – I could not see! I said to security, 'I can't see, tell me where I'm walking, I can't see. And Gayle's like, 'I got two broken toes, I can't walk.'"

Oprah added: "The reason we look like we're 90 is 'cos I couldn't see, and Gayle's got two broken toes. So, y'all can clear that up. So funny. I couldn't see, but I looked cute."

photo of oprah and gayle king at chlose show pfw© Getty Images
Oprah couldn't see in her non-prescription sunglasses, and Gayle had two broken toes

The media mogul attended several shows during Paris Fashion Week, including Chanel, Zimmermann, and Stella McCartney.

Oprah, who used a GLP-1 medication to help her lose weight, is now having more fun with fashion, and she admitted her slimmer physique has impacted her personal style. 

"I can tell you what a joy it is to actually pack clothes that you know are gonna fit and you're gonna feel good in them," she said on CBS Sunday Morning. "I mean, it is a joy to get dressed."

Fans couldn't believe how incredible Oprah looks at 72© Getty Images
Oprah's weight loss has impacted her personal style

She added: "But as I continue to work out here, the combination of the medication and hiking every day, and resistance training has given me the body that I had when I was running a marathon. 

"So, I was 40 and feeling really good, but to be able to be 71 and feel that I am in the best shape of my life feels better than it did when I was 40."

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