Oprah Winfrey has come to the rescue of her father Vernon Winfrey by purchasing his Tennessee barber shop out of foreclosure, but not everyone in the family is happy about the gesture.
Vernon’s soon-to-be ex-wife Barbara Winfrey claims that 80-year-old Vernon [Watch his birthday video below.] is taking bad advice from people, without naming her stepdaughter, Oprah, and suggests that Oprah is forcing her out of her husband’s life with the purchase. She told local NBC station WSMV-TV: ”I know what is going on. I’m tired of it, and I’ve had enough.”
Vernon, who filed for divorce from Barbara on Tuesday (July 3), has run the barbershop for 50 years and it is considered a fixture in his community. A year ago, he and Barbara bought a new building, refurbished it and moved the business into it.
However, Barbara revealed that they owed the bank $481,000 and that the business was only worth $350,000 before the bank auctioned it off. Oprah was the highest bidder and completed the sale for $475,000.
In a statement to WSMV, Oprah’s spokeswoman confirmed the purchase, adding: ”[Vernon] will continue to manage the business on a day to day basis.” [EURWeb]
