Speculation and rumors that Oprah Winfrey has a child flew yesterday after she dropped a bomb in a tease for an upcoming show. The talk-show queen shocked her legions of fans by saying that on Monday she would reveal a "deep, dark family secret" about her and longtime beau Stedman Graham.

"Stedman and I have a daughter," Oprah confessed in the clip. "She has issues, and I think it's my fault."

Fans have long hoped Oprah and Stedman, a motivational speaker and author, would have a child together in the belief they'd make perfect parents. There was speculation a couple of years ago in British tabloids that they were shopping for a surrogate mom, but the reports did not appear to pan out.

And Oprah watchers say no mom scenarios are likely for the megastar, who hasn't been out of the public eye long enough to go through a pregnancy with no one knowing. And while the couple maintains supersecrecy about their private lives, it's also unlikely they became adoptive or foster parents on the q.t., watchers say.

Unless the whole thing is a publicity stunt, the suspicion is Oprah was talking about Stedman's daughter from a previous marriage, Wendy, 30.

Neither Oprah nor Stedman could be reached for comment.

Oprah, 51, and Stedman, 54, have been together forever and nearly tied the knot in the '90s. A wedding day was set for Sept. 8, 1993, but Oprah postponed it because her autobiography was due out. Oprah has said she and Stedman have never talked marriage again.

In the promo, Oprah doesn't specify what "issues" her "daughter" has, but she does say "only one man can help." Could it be Dr. Phil, the TV shrink whose career took off when Oprah began touting him? If you're dying to find out, tune in on May 9.

--Seriously. How could she have possibly had a child and no one know?

Posted by: Lawrenkm at 08:01 AM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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