Taraji P. Henson has denied speculations of a breach between her and Oprah Winfrey.

On the Friday, June 6 broadcast of The Breakfast Club, Henson debunked “BS” rumors about a conflict between herself and Winfrey while promoting her new Netflix feature, Straw.

The purported conflict started during The Color Purple’s publicity tour. Henson, who plays the renowned Shug Avery in the 2023 adaptation, speaks out against the wage discrepancy for Black women in Hollywood while promoting the film. Winfrey was a producer and previously acted in the 1985 film adaptation, both of which are based on the same stage show. Henson’s comments sparked speculation that Winfrey and the Empire star were at odds on set.

“When have you ever seen me disrespect another woman, especially a Black woman?” When co-host Charlamagne tha God brought up the alleged feud between her and Winfrey, Henson responded, “I’m 100 percent behind us.”

“I think it was just a campaign so that this Black movie wouldn’t do well,” Henson said, referring to media coverage of the alleged rivalry.

Winfrey disputed any conflicts between her and Henson at the 2024 Golden Globes in an interview with Entertainment Tonight, claiming she observed “people are saying that I was not supporting Taraji.”

“There’s no validity to there being a thing between Taraji and me,” Winfrey stated at the time. “Taraji would tell you that I was the film’s greatest champion. I not only championed the behind-the-scenes projection, but also ensured that everyone had what they needed.

Regarding Henson’s concerns regarding wages, Winfrey stated, “I’m not in charge of the budget because that’s Warner Bros., you know? That’s how the studio system operates.

During her appearance on The Breakfast Club, Henson stated she received allegations that she had a detrimental influence on The Color Purple’s box office results. The picture outperformed expectations with a domestic opening of $18 million, the greatest in over a decade and the second-biggest of all time. However, the film’s performance dipped in the following days and weeks, earning a total of $60.6 million domestically before closing.

When told that the box office dip was allegedly due to her and Winfrey’s dispute, Henson said, “You know that’s BS, right?”

“I have a love and fondness for Oprah,” Henson explained. “She emailed me the other day, complimenting me on a job well done at Straw. Henson concocted the story to distance himself from her.

“I came to her defense immediately.” You’re not going to do this to that woman,” Henson said, calling any publicity about her and Winfrey’s problems “disrespectful.”

In another segment of the conversation, Henson discussed the necessity of Black women supporting one another.

“We are more powerful when we support each other,” she told me. “Do not express your problems to another sister in public. Is there a concern you need to address with her? Pull her to the side. That is between you and her to fix. It is not up to the people to weigh in with their superficial opinions. As Black women, we receive far too many bullets from society. Why would I be another barrier for another sister to overcome? “I am just not going to do it.”