Oprah Winfrey has warned that family estrangement is becoming a 'silent epidemic' in modern society, and termed it a 'cultural shift', but critics argue that the media icon helped create the very 'cutoff culture' she is cautioning against.
Family experts and relationship coaches claim decades of Winfrey's messaging around emotional boundaries and 'cutting off toxic people' normalised estrangement, leaving countless families fractured and grieving.
The billionaire talk show host mentioned the topic of family estrangement from a Cornell University Study. 'Almost one-third of Americans are actively estranged from a family member', Winfrey shared.
She also mentioned that the phenomenon of adult children ceasing 'any kind of contact with parents, siblings or the whole family' and called it a 'silent epidemic' that might become an issue as the holiday season approaches or during gatherings and sharing.
Family and Relationship Coach Blames Oprah For 'Cutoff Culture'
However, family and relationship coach Tania Khazaal, whose work primarily revolves around fighting 'cutoff culture', took a jab at Oprah on social media for pretending that the estrangement crisis had just trended recently. With her own background of estrangement, the coach wondered why the talk show host was feigning ignorance of the issue, as if it had appeared out of thin air.
This estrangement epidemic is one of the most painful crises families are living through today. But Oprah, a woman who helped shape and popularize the “cut them off, protect your peace at all costs”...
Khazaal considered that Winfrey's message had been there since the '90s and had played a large part in a cultural shift in which people see abandoning a relationship as the first thing to do rather than the last.
She noted that millennials, mostly fans of Oprah since their childhood, are the leading group who are the most likely to disown their relatives, and even if it was not done purposely, 'the effect has absolutely been detrimental', Khazaal explained to Fox News Digital.
Khazaal said she thought discussions about estrangement were essential, but that people should not 'rewrite history'. 'These are real families, real grief, parents passing away without hearing their child's voice'.
Oprah reportedly responded in the comments, writing, 'Happy to have a conversation about it — but not on a reel. Will have my producer contact you if you're interested'.
But the comment was later taken down due to adverse reactions.
Khazaal, however, said she's still open to discussing it with Oprah. 'The first thing I'd want her to understand is simple: Setting aside cases of abuse or danger, the family unit is the most sacred structure we have'.
How Oprah Allegedly Encouraged Family Estrangement
Commenters from Khazaal's reel backed her statement, with users saying they first heard 'You can love them from a distance' from Oprah in the '90s. A mother left a comment saying that the pain, hurt, and damage never go away, narrating that they have not seen their estranged son for five years.
Meanwhile, some people considered it an empathetic stance on Oprah's part. Mental health professionals emphasise that estrangement is a sign of broader cultural changes, not just the influence of celebs.
Psychologist Joshua Coleman elucidated that one of the traditional expectations like 'honor thy parents' is gradually being replaced with the priority of personal happiness, identity, and mental health. According to him, however, therapists can sometimes unintentionally promote estrangement when they are seen as 'detachment brokers.
Social workers are also glad that celebrities such as Oprah have made estrangement easier to discuss. Experts emphasise that the situation of estranged families is not hopeless.
At the end of the day, both parents and children require help. But relationships can only improve if parents can listen to their children without getting defensive, and children can share their pain without being blamed.
A Culture At A Crossroads
Experts agree on one point: estrangement is not a trend without consequence. Healing requires effort on both sides: parents willing to listen without defensiveness, and adult children able to express pain without blame.
Whether Oprah Winfrey was a catalyst or merely a mirror of cultural change, the debate underscores a growing realisation: emotional boundaries may protect individuals, but unchecked estrangement can quietly dismantle families.
