MEAWW.COM / ENTERTAINMENT / TV

Oprah Winfrey’s interview with the Olsen twins is still disturbing to watch years later: "What size..."

Oprah Winfrey is under fire for an uncomfortable interview with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, sparking online backlash

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, best known for their roles in 'Full House,' started acting very young. Despite their success, they still faced invasive interviews. In one interview, the Olsen twins looked uneasy as Oprah Winfrey asked intrusive questions. While Winfrey is a highly respected talk show host, she has also gained a reputation for posing uncomfortable questions to her guests. Notably, she once asked Cindy Crawford to display her body and probed Michael Jackson about deeply personal topics, including his skin color and appearance. So, it was no surprise that her conversation with the Olsen twins was invasive.

A 2004 interview between Winfrey and the Olsen twins resurfaced, drawing criticism for its uncomfortable questions, according to Extra ie. At just 17, Mary-Kate and Ashley looked uneasy when asked about their body sizes. The situation became more uncomfortable as rumors swirled that Mary-Kate was struggling with an eating disorder. Just months after the interview, she checked into rehab for anorexia treatment.

In the resurfaced interview, Winfrey brought up rumors about the twins, saying, "I know a new rumor recently surfaced that has really upset you, right? You know, the one about eating." Ashley tried to deflect, saying, "Yeah, you know people are going to write what they’re going to write. We try not to read the good or the bad because it just comes with the territory." She continued, "Either you’re too fat or too skinny, and people are just going to write what they…" Then, Winfrey interrupted with, "What size are you, by the way?" a question that has since been widely criticized. The twins were seemingly taken aback by Winfrey's direct question and exchanged glances before Ashley cautiously responded, "Size?"

Soon after the interview resurfaced, an internet user slammed Winfrey in a Reddit thread. One internet user said, "Oprah is super shitty. There’s a reason she’s an honorary BtB subject. So many people she’s made famous have been on there." Another one said, "Time has given Oprah gravitas that I personally do not get. She is problematic as hell, especially but far from only, with body and weight issues. She is also the reason that Dr. Oz and Dr. Phil are where they are. She has done a lot of harm." One person wrote, "The older I get the more I realize how much crap Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen had to put up with."

Another comment read, "Oprah is a terrible person. She defended a pe*ophile yet attacked everyone else (usually women and POC)," while another in a similar vein states, "Once Oprah told her audience that “no one over size 10 should ever wear white pants “. One person wrote, "Gross." Another commented, "Yeah I think she believes it’s normal to be obsessed with your weight/diet because it’s been such a huge issue for her."

In another disturbing moment, Howard Stern openly sexualized the Olsen twins when they were just 13. A widely circulated X video shows Stern making inappropriate comments about the twins while they were still minors. He said, "Now, normally I don't look at a 13-year-old and sexualize them; I don't, but these two are pieces of a**. They've grown up so perfect." Since then, Stern has