If you have followed the storied life of a one Orpah Gail Winfrey, or Oprah, then you know that she faced many hardships as a young girl.
She was sexually abused multiple times by various family members and became pregnant at 14. Winfrey gave birth to her son prematurely, and he passed away a few weeks later. The child’s death was something Winfrey remained mum about until a relative exposed the talk show host’s business in 1990 to the National Enquirer for a check. And while the betrayal initially crushed her, especially since such a sensitive situation was revealed by family and to fans Winfrey thought would no longer want anything to do with her, she soon felt relieved. After that, Winfrey spoke and continues to speak openly about that painful time in her life.
But while speaking in Australia in the hopes of sharing her “life lessons” according to news.au.com, she spoke specifically about the baby boy she lost. She shared that she hid her pregnancy because she felt a great deal of “pain and shame.” But she’s no longer burdened by that pain or shame, choosing to reveal the name she recently gave her son for the first time and why she decided to do so all these years later.
“I did an interview with a reporter before I came to Australia and she said you should name the baby son who died,” Winfrey said. “So I have named him, I had a little boy named Canaan.”
While on stage, Winfrey didn’t share the exact spelling she chose for her late son’s name, but she did reveal why she chose the moniker.
“I did have a son. And I named him Canaan because Canaan means new land, new life.”
In the Bible, God brings the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and gives them a new life and a new land in Canaan.
It’s possible that the aforementioned “pain and shame” she felt was the reason Winfrey, then a young teenager decided against naming her son when he was born. But at 61, there’s nothing to be ashamed of. What Winfrey went through brought her to this point and made her capable of sharing her story to help others. She does have a son. And his name is Canaan.
