Oprah Apple TV+Source: Apple

What you need to know

  • Oprah resigned as executive producer of the documentary two weeks ago.
  • The documentary was to air on Apple TV+, but that isn't happening now.
  • She has explained why she stepped away from the project.

Oprah Winfrey has explained why she took the decision to back away from a documentary centered on the alleged sexual assault in the music industry. Specifically media figure Russell Summons. According to Oprah, it was all a case of wanting to make sure the facts were 100% accurate.

Speaking to CBS, Oprah said that she raised concerns about the accuracy of some of the documentary but was shot down

Winfrey explained it was "a hard decision" to step away from the film because she knew it could look like she was caving to pressure from Simmons, but that before he pressured her, she had expressed concerns to the filmmakers.

"I had said to them, 'Houston, I think we have a problem here' because new information had come forward," she said.

Winfrey said she thought they needed to pull out of the Sundance Film Festival, where the documentary is expected to premier on January 25, and if they couldn't, she would take her name off.

Oprah went on to say that she didn't want to put her name to something that she did not have creative control over. And given her misgivings about the documentary she decided that it was best to step away. That also means that it won't be part of the Apple TV+ lineup, too.

"I don't care about awards — I just care about getting it right, and I think there's some inconsistencies in the stories that we need to look at," Winfrey said. "I wanted the context of the story to be broadened, I wanted more women brought into the story."