Oprah Winfrey is urging Americans to pay attention to what she calls a growing “silent epidemic” — but one vocal critic argues the media icon helped build the very culture she’s now warning against.
According to Fox News, Winfrey recently highlighted a Cornell University study showing nearly one-third of Americans are estranged from a family member.
On her podcast, she framed the spike in adults cutting off parents, siblings, or entire family systems as “one of the fastest-growing cultural shifts of our time,” especially painful during the holidays.
But relationship coach Tania Khazaal, whose work centers on reversing what she calls “cutoff culture,” accused Winfrey of glossing over her own decades of influence.
“Now Oprah is shocked by the aftermath of estrangement, after being one of the biggest voices pushing it for decades,” Khazaal said in an Instagram video that quickly drew tens of thousands of reactions.
She argued that messages promoted on “The Oprah Winfrey Show” in the 1990s and early 2000s helped shape a mindset where walking away became a first response rather than a last resort.
Millennials — many of whom grew up watching Oprah — are now estranging family members at the highest rates, Khazaal told Fox News Digital.
Her criticism intensified as she questioned why Winfrey now frames estrangement like an unexpected crisis.
“Now she hosts a discussion with estranged parents and estranged kids… like it’s some hidden, sudden, heartbreaking epidemic that she had no hand in,” Khazaal said.
While she believes conversations about estrangement are important, she insisted the public shouldn’t “rewrite history.”
“Estrangement isn’t entertainment or a trending conversation piece,” she said. “It’s real families, real grief, parents dying without hearing their child’s voice.”
Winfrey reportedly replied in the comments, offering to talk privately, but Khazaal said the message was deleted after backlash. She remains willing to have the conversation, saying the first step is recognizing the value of the home itself.
“The family unit is the most sacred structure we have,” she said. “When children lose their sense of belonging at home, they search for it in the outside world.”
Her critique has ignited a wide online debate. Some commenters echoed her point that Oprah helped popularize distance-based language decades ago.
Others shared personal stories of deep pain caused by estrangement. But many defended Winfrey, arguing her message was empathetic and aimed at addressing a complicated issue rather than creating it.
Experts say the trend reflects broader cultural changes. Psychologist Joshua Coleman, featured on Winfrey’s podcast, noted that longstanding norms like “honor thy mother and father” have given way to a modern focus on individual fulfillment, identity, and mental health.
Therapists, he added, can unintentionally become “detachment brokers,” giving clients the green light to sever ties when other options might exist.
Social workers and clinicians interviewed by Fox News Digital said estrangement is no longer a private matter — and while sometimes necessary for safety, fractured families can often heal with the right support.
That includes clearer communication, healthier conflict resolution, and rebuilding trust through consistent effort.
Khazaal agrees on that point, saying both parents and adult children need help navigating painful conversations.
“Parents need to learn how to listen without slipping into justification,” she said. “And children need help speaking about their pain without defaulting to blame or avoidance.”
