'Thoughtful' or 'out of touch'? Oprah Winfrey says US$100 Christmas present 'really not' expensive, goes viral

Oprah Winfrey is at the centre of a row after a journalist told her US$100 (S$135) was too much to spend on a Christmas present.

The 68-year-old talk show host — worth US$2.5 billion — was videoed telling TMZ worker Colin Drummond to buy a jewellery box for his mum after he told her he needed inspiration for a festive gift to cheer up his struggling mother over the holidays.

Oprah replied: "A wonderful thing is that jewellery box that I had on Favourite Things (her famous gift ideas list). A beautiful red jewellery box…"

When Colin, who is listed as TMZ's Washington Bureau Chief on LinkedIn, said that it's "too expensive" for him, she said "it's really not", adding that "it's like 100 or so dollars".

He stuck to his opinion that it was too much to spend, and Oprah looked surprised that he wouldn't spend US$100 on his mum.

When Colin told her his mother likes "sentimental gifts", Oprah advised the "perfect gift" was to make a "list of your top ten reasons why you love her, and you make a beautiful card".

[[nid:595908]]

The clip, which has racked up nearly a million views on TikTok, has left social media users divided.

Some have accused Oprah of being "out of touch", with one saying: "A billionaire doesn't understand how it is for the rest of us."

Others said US$100 wasn't too much to spend on an ailing mother, adding her second suggestion was "incredibly thoughtful".

Another Oprah fan added: "Bless her heart. She was trying to help. I love both her suggestions. There was no judgement in her tone or reaction. love her sentimental gift idea."

 Oprah, one of America's wealthiest self-made women, is said to make US$300 million per year and owns US$127 million worth of real estate.

@10gsocial Oprah knows hiw to give a sentimental gift #oprah #tv #gift #christmas #suprise ♬ Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree - Brenda Lee

A recent online post revealed her lavish lifestyle, showing the chat show host and her Thanksgiving guests sitting around an 18-person table in the dining room of her 23,000-square-foot California mansion, which was filled with flowers and candles.

Other posts have shown Oprah, who uses a private chef and owns a US$75 million private Gulfstream G650 jet, sipping on wine on her huge porch and enjoying movies in her home cinema, along with her massive walk-in closet.

Her main home is a sprawling mansion in Montecito, near the US$14.65 million home where the Duke and Duchess of Sussex live.

ALSO READ: Chris Rock supposedly turned down tell-all interview with Oprah Winfrey