Stephanie Mills Comes for Oprah and Gayle King on Club Shay Shay: 'Why Are They Always Picking on Their Own?'

"I'm not going to allow her to talk about Whitney or anybody else. I'm not." That was Stephanie Mills on the newest episode of Club Shay Shay, and the "her" is Oprah Winfrey. The clip went up on Club Shay Shay's X account Wednesday, and the full sit-down with Shannon Sharpe is out now on YouTube.

Sharpe brought it up by asking about Mills getting upset over Oprah sharing a story about Whitney Houston falling off a stage, and whether the two women had ever sat down to talk it out. Mills did not take the peace route.

"That's my problem with her and Gayle"

"You could tell I'm very pro Black," Mills told Sharpe. "I love my community." From there, she made it clear the issue in her eyes is who gets the spotlight when the jokes and the hard questions come out. "So, why would you make fun or say something about Whitney now, right?" she asked. "Why not say something about Taylor Swift or somebody else, right? Why are they always picking on their own? That's my problem with her and Gayle."

As for a face-to-face, Mills said she doesn't see the point. "I don't think we need to sit in a room," she said. "I think they understand exactly what they do."

Oprah and Gayle King had not publicly responded to the episode as of this writing.

Michael Jackson, Kobe and the bigger picture

This isn't new territory for Mills. Last month on BET's The Jason Lee Show, she questioned the two hosts' interview choices, and reports from that appearance say she criticized Gayle King for pressing Lisa Leslie about Kobe Bryant's past sexual assault case shortly after his death, and Oprah for interviewing Michael Jackson's accusers after Jackson welcomed her into his home. Club Shay Shay's episode description says Kobe, R. Kelly and Chris Brown came up again here, along with why she believes Black celebrities should stand up for one another.

Michael is personal for her. Mills, who met Jackson through The Wiz, spent a big chunk of the Sharpe interview defending him, including the old talk about his skin. "I don't think Michael wanted to be white," she said.

Mills is 69, has been in this business since she won Amateur Night at the Apollo as a kid, and clearly has no interest in softening it now. Whether Oprah or Gayle ever answer her is another story.

Watch the latest from Rich Motion: Lil Woody Starts WAR With Charleston White And Wack 100. Is Stephanie Mills right about Oprah and Gayle King, or is she going too far? Let us know in the comments, and subscribe at youtube.com/@RichMotion_Media so you don't miss the next one.

Sources: Club Shay Shay on X, Club Shay Shay (YouTube), BET / The Jason Lee Show, Sam Sylk