Oprah Winfrey stole the show at the 2025 American Ballet Theatre Fall Gala on Wednesday night in a head-turning gown that showcased her svelte figure, after shedding more than 50 lbs on her weight loss journey. The 71-year-old arrived at the NYC event, set to honor ballerina Misty Copeland, in a stunning white gown with a black belt cinching in her tiny waist. The wrap-style dress fell to the floor and was layered over a long-sleeved black shirt. Oprah added black pointed heels and dangling earrings, completing the look with a plum lipstick and soft, cascading curls.
Oprah made sure to catch up with Misty on the red carpet, as the pair hugged it out and posed for the cameras. Misty was the first African American woman to become the American Ballet Theatre's principal dancer in 2015, marking an incredible milestone for the world of dance. The 43-year-old put on a one-night-only performance on Wednesday in farewell to the iconic dance company and her role there.
"I could never have imagined the life ballet would give me," Misty shared in a statement. "To dance on the world's greatest stages, with artists I admire so deeply, has been one of the greatest gifts of my life. My time with ABT has shaped me not just as a dancer, but as a person, and given me the platform to reach back and make space for others. This moment isn't a farewell, it's a celebration of everything we've built together, and a step toward all the work that's still ahead."
While Oprah looked incredible at the event, her confidence only came after years of being the butt of the joke, with her weight discussed at length by the tabloid media and online commenters. "It was public sport to make fun of me for 25 years," she told People. "I have been blamed and shamed, and I blamed and shamed myself. I swallowed the shame. I accepted that it was my fault."
To learn more about Oprah's incredible journey, watch below...
The billionaire added that her weight "occupied five decades of space in my brain, yo-yoing and feeling like why can't I just conquer this thing, believing willpower was my failing." It wasn't until she had a knee replacement in 2021 that things finally fell into place for her.
"After knee surgery, I started hiking and setting new distance goals each week. I could eventually hike three to five miles every day and a 10-mile straight-up hike on weekends," she recalled. "I felt stronger, more fit and more alive than I'd felt in years." While Oprah worked hard to achieve her slim figure through lifestyle changes, the TV personality also used GLP-1 medication to help her shed the last few pounds and reach her goal.
GLP-1s, like Ozempic, Mounjaro and Wegovy, work to suppress appetite and are popular amongst celebrities aiming to lose weight quickly. Despite receiving backlash for using the medication, Oprah shared that it was a blessing for her after years of weight struggles.
"The fact that there's a medically approved prescription for managing weight and staying healthier, in my lifetime, feels like relief, like redemption, like a gift, and not something to hide behind and once again be ridiculed for. I'm absolutely done with the shaming from other people and particularly myself," she declared.
Join HELLO! as we discover who also appeared at the star-studded American Ballet Theatre Gala...