John Tesh recalls his brief yet significant interracial romance with Oprah Winfrey during the 1970s, reflecting on the uncomfortable social climate of that era. The South, where both worked at rival local TV stations in Nashville, Tennessee, viewed their relationship as unconventional and unusual. Despite the challenges posed by societal norms, the couple chose to embrace each other rather than let public scrutiny shape their brief time together.
“I remember it being very uncomfortable back then for an African-American woman and a very, very white guy like me to be dating,” Tesh, now 73, shared with Page Six. “We would work all day, and then maybe we’d see each other once a week. She or I would suggest where to grab dinner that evening.”
Incredibly, even in the early stages of her career, Winfrey stood out as something remarkable. Tesh fondly recalled how he loved covering similar stories alongside her, commenting on their shared enthusiasm for such assignments: “It was like, ‘Okay, this makes it a lot more fun.'”
Their relationship eventually cooled due to the diverging paths each took professionally. Winfrey moved from Baltimore and Chicago to pursue opportunities in other regions, while Tesh relocated to New York and Los Angeles, where he became a long-standing co-host of Entertainment Tonight.
His career flourished too; composing the iconic “Roundball Rock” theme for NBA on NBC and building a successful concert career that has also supported PBS programming.
In 1992, Tesh married actress Connie Sellecca. Winfrey, in contrast, had been in a long-term relationship with Stedman Graham since 1986.