In addition to being a tenured professor at Mississippi Valley State, Oprah Winfrey’s first cousin, Jo Baldwin, is also an ordained minister who preaches at two churches every Sunday.
Oprah knew that Ms. Baldwin was a deeply religious woman when she hired her to be her speechwriter shortly after the enormously popular Oprah Winfrey Show debuted. Later she promoted Baldwin to VP of her company Harpo Inc, according to Gawker.com.
“When I received my PhD in 1985 from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Oprah asked me where I was going to work,” said Jo Baldwin in the summer of 2010. “I said I would be applying for a position at Ebony magazine as a copy editor. Oprah said she did not like Linda Johnson Rice [owner of Ebony] and I should come to work for her instead. So I did.”
“I was to work for her for three years, but she fired me without notice after two years… I heard from someone later that she got rid of me because she got tired of me talking about Jesus all the time… Oprah preferred the teachings of Shirley MacLaine’s books, such as Dancing in the Light and Out on a Limb, which Oprah made me read but I didn’t think much of.”
Ok…I love Jesus too but I don’t talk Him all the time in my place of employment. We as Christians, have to respect that other may not have the same beliefs as we do. Too much of anything that is not job related can get one fired from a job.
“Oprah Winfrey’s first cousin”
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Says it all! She seen that check that Okra cut for her “sister” and now she done caught some feelings. Okra been penny pinchin and nickel’n dimin’ ol cuz since conception of her hired start date. Now that “sister” done came in and in one day and a quick Google search of Ancestry dot com did she get what ol “cuz” hasn’t been able to get/do in a lifetime and now she sick about it! She thought she was next in line for that empire! NOT!
See why you can’t fux with family!
Yeah depends on how over the top she was with the Jesus talk
The Christian side of me is offended but I also wonder if there are other factors in her firing.
I feel for Oprah, but I also know money brings out the worse in people who feel they are entitled to your help. Maybe that’s why she is distancing herself from her family
Happy bday!
@ flsun
That’s probably not the ONLY reason she got fired…. Its always 3 sides to a story…
LuvMySailor says:
I also wonder if there are other factors in her firing.
I also know money brings out the worse in people who feel they are entitled to your help. Maybe that’s why she is distancing herself from her family
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EXACTLY! I don’t think the talk of Jesus was a factor. I think she probably said “JESUS gone bless/favor me with your money after you gone” talk is what did it.
I’m with Eastpoint & flsun.
You may love Jesus, Allah, Yahweh, Buddha, Jehovah, Ghandi or whoever else all day long, but you can’t be spending all day at your ob talking to any and everybody about it. You never know who may be offended by you constantly throwing your Christianity in their face or who may not share your beliefs.
I’m sure she got a warning once or twice before they just up and fired her though, come on.
Oprah……..
Thank you Prynsexxx!
sooo u heard from someone that was the reason u got fired. oh ok. thought there was some evidence to back this story up
Yall know Oprah the devil
Anyone who has ever worked in any human resource capacity will tell you, the reason people were fired and the reason people CHOOSE TO BELIEVE they were fired are rarely the same story. Plus, people who talk about Jesus all the time are annoying and usually turn out to be less than Christ-like themselves. That said, I really doubt Jesus speak is why this chick got fired.
She was hired and fired before I was born…it’s been years, let it go.
Why is she bringing it up now more than 20years later anyway????
I definitely believe you can not be talking about Jesus all day long at work because it may offend some people, BUT there is something about Jo Baldwin’s story that I believe as well. Wealth has not only brought “family” out of the wood work, but it has also created monsters out of those who possess it! Sometimes Oprah can get on my nerve with all that she’s gone through. I swear, every sad story that comes across her show, she’s experienced it! DAYUM, OPRAH!
right, i thought the article was gonna say she worked for her for like 15 years then fired her, but she worked for her for 2 years back in the 80s?
So if I’m understanding this, this chit happened in the 80s? And she just not said something in 2010?!
GTWOWTBS
AS IN SATAN, LUCIFER! LMFAO –
It says she heard that she was fired for talking about jesus so basically its he said she said shit.. Please lady move on ..
Not to mention she says Oprah made her read something, please you are a grown ass woman she didnt make you read anything. Wow… some people are ridiculous was this even worth a post.. must be a slow day
HEY KINGS
My love
Do you eva..dreammmm of Candi coated raiinnnnnn drops…ur the same my CANDI RAIN 
As in cry me a river and build a bridge to get over it
So far this is just hearsay . She doesn’t even know why she was fired, and before releasing a statement, wouldn’t she want to find out???
…… And I can’t see Oprah saying “I don’t like her, come work for me”….
Oprah must have some kind of 20-year confidentiality agreement or something because this is the second person from her past to come out with news older than my oldest child. No one cares at this point.
YSOLITTTTTTTTTTA *claps booty for you 33 times
Let me hit sum
*sits next to blu*
Is this reply button new or I have just never took notice of it?
I like this new reply feature…NO MORE scrolling up and down 6,5986.5 post to remember what he said/she said.
GOOD JOB SANDRITA *smacks you on the tush
If someone wants to talk about Jesus they can do it. No one can sit up here and tell someone what they can or cannot do. Just like I cannot tell another person what to do about their belief. Yes I personally will speak my mind when needed, but I am not going to go overboard with it either.
I think its new..you like
its new
Yes it’s new.
cha cha u still gotta scroll up to see if the person replied to u and what they said, then scroll back down to see what everyone else is sayin, then scroll back up to see if folks replied to what someone else said
Oh, I didnt even notice she did that. That is the way to go
Nice Sandra
lovinme says:
Not to mention she says Oprah made her read something, please you are a grown ass woman she didnt make you read anything. Wow… some people are ridiculous was this even worth a post.. must be a slow day
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RIGHT!!! She’s a grow azz collegiate woman with a PhD…
I requested it and she actually listened.
There’s still a few bugs though and not everyone likes it.
blu
what’s your email ? (if you don’t mind)
FoxE says:
That’s probably not the ONLY reason she got fired…. Its always 3 sides to a story…
_____________________________________________________________________
But Oprah so wealthy…she already owns 2 of those sides
*scoot over*
buddapecan says:
Yall know Oprah the devil
~~~~~~~~~
I don’t think she’s the devil. LOL. I don’t think she believes in GOD but in a Spiritual Power, so who would want to listen to someone talk about Jesus daily.
How many tattoos you have Mr. BluPhi?
and phone number………..
CRY ME A RIVER!!!!!
I HEARD FROM SOMEONE ELSE?!?!?!
C’MON NOW YOU CAN’T BE SERIOUS-JUST MESSY AS ALL GET OUT!
SERIOUSLY BUILD A BRIDGE AND GET OVER IT!
Laswaggar@gmail …I dont mind at all.
and home address
seriously???
People can talk about Jesus all they want to that is there right. No one can make anyone listen if they dont want to. I can block out anything I dont want to hear.
Really though…what is the purpose of bringing this to the media’s light? Did you take it to Jesus first?
WHAT DO YOU THINK OF KIM KARDASHIAN’S NEW SINGLE?
I SEE IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY, ANYONE COULD SING IF THEY WANTED TO.
I like it… MY YSOLO DOLO is so innovative… *sits in your lap and twirls your hair
*adds this to my contacts*
lmao.
And shoe size
Yeah ….backflips into a small tub of kleenex…Guess we cant have everything… FALLS OUT …BUT WHYYYYYYYYYYYY
I say she owns all three AND the rights to whatever it is you THINK you gone say……
MMM HMMM thats what I said… I reckon there is about 6 or 7 more distant relatives laying in the cut waiting to get they chance to shine. They just going down the list.
Frantically searching facebook, twitter, linkedin…
HEY BEAUTIFUL CHOCOLATE ROSE
On topic at hand….course not!
IM REPLYING ON EVERYTHANG
We are going REPLY crazy 
Thanks!
I love myself too much to listen to that chit.
And it’s been working for the likes of Rihanna, Ciara, Keysha…
Not if everyone replies to the same comment. Please stop crying.
CHA CHA whats up BABY? Choke cl*t Lick
Youse a fool.
(twirls and untwirls your hair around my finger)
What kinda snazzy shat is going on up in hea!
reply buttons and whatnot
Gawn SR! *snaps*
blu i seem to have a yahoo email address for u also, which one do u check more frequently?
*puts two chicken asiago ranch sammys from wendy’s over my bewbs and puts on my mini skirt made of fries* HIS
Whats going on is you baby *pulls you close and stares lovingly in to your eyes ……*whispers HEY BOO
OH YOU KNOW…changes
stilettoespositions19 Mr.BluPhi says:
So far this is just hearsay . She doesn’t even know why she was fired, and before releasing a statement, wouldn’t she want to find out???
…… And I can’t see Oprah saying “I don’t like her, come work for me”….
~~~~
It’s Oprah, ppl want to know when she farts(not me, not a Oprah fan). LOL, I can see Oprah saying she doesn’t like Linda Johnson, wouldn’t she have been Oprah’s competition back in the day?
COMMENT HEAVEN …I
THIS BISH
*caresses Chas face (and ass) and tells her how much I adore her*
Oh Candi
U treat me so good! *eats ur bewbs and half ur skirt* 
candibfly says:
*puts two chicken asiago ranch sammys from wendy’s
~~~~~~~
I had a Baja Salad for lunch, nothing to write home about. It’s like a Taco Salad w/out the Taco meat(Wendy’s Chili)no Sour Cream….and over priced.
I say plenty of foul shyt at work
I guess I should be glad the folks I work with have thick skin……..
Hello Awesome
*performs like the old WB frog with Awesomes name on my top hat*
Wow, why is this women talking now after 25 years?
*kisses the dimples right above your azz*
@anna i don’t really like getting salads from fast food places. it just seems wrong to me
i might try the salad place called chop’t tho, they always have a lne out the door. i’m like this line is all for lettuce?
*kicks a homeless cat at awesome since he don’t see a nig eventho i said hi 87548954 posts ago*
@ his
what’s your email?
you missed a lottttttttttttttttttt of fun.
Is this some new developement? I wanted to reply to Candi’s reply to my reply on His’ comment.
@Kingstonn
hey bew
paulette.barker1 @ gmail
yes what did i miss? pls fill me in
@Candi dnt be kicking cats hffa
That hurt my Persias felings!
(persia is my cat who was here before and was obv a diva ass human btch)
20 years later she comes out—-CHILD PLEASE
I wanted to be on Oprah’s Favorite show and was never picked can I write a book about that.
candibfly says:
@anna i don’t really like getting salads from fast food places. it just seems wrong to me
i might try the salad place called chop’t tho, they always have a lne out the door. i’m like this line is all for lettuce?
~~~~~~~~
You know what? You’re right, it is wrong to order a salad from a fast food place. I don’t know why I do it, I’ll order a Salad @ Marco’s.
iight ya’ll I must go…. the child is having study issues *sigh*
@Kingstonn (whos puzzay be yankin) I will await this email
Bye Ya’lllllllllllllllllllllllll
s all around
um wow
Wassamatta my dear LUSCIOUS WOMAN?
So let me get this straight. Oprah was so annoyed by this woman’s Jesus talk that she let her work there two years before firing her?
GTFOOHWTS!!!
Nothin YSO
I’m good
Okay.
OOOOH MS. SANDRA. I’M LUV’N THE PIC. U LUCKY I’M ALREADY TAKEN! MUUUAH!
All things that are lawful are not expedient. I love Jesus too but I can’t talk about him all day at my job. She was at work just live your life the right way you won’t have to yell out the name Jesus all the time people will see the difference in you and come to you.
The revolution will not be televised or blogged
Lookkkkkkkkkkkk… I am a Christian who loves Jesus just as much as any other devout Christian, but I am also a working professional who knows when it’s not appropriate to talk about religion. I bet this hefa thought because Oprah was her cousin and she had a VP position it was okay to go around ministering to folks on the job at well – EPIC FAIL, COUSIN JO! At the end of the day not everyone believe in Christ. There is no telling who in the heck she offended at Harpo, Inc and the message got back to Lady O. Just for Employee Liability Practices alone I would have fired her azz too, but probably not in the cold way Cousin Jo claims. And what about severance Cousin Jo? I’AM CERTAIN OPRAH TOOK CARE OF YOU! Stop the foolishness now!
Oh yeah… Kitty Kelly’s book is garbage.
i agree though, sometimes it’s annoying when people talk about Jesus all the time. It’s sad to say but it’s really annoying at times. Reminds me of my mom.
I wish Orpah [sic] would open a church with e-tithes. I would tithe in inspiration books delivered to the illiterate to not read while they wait for cleft palate surgery in Peru.
I guess Jesus told her to talk about this years later with Kitty Kelley. And Jesus told her to fear Oprah for 20 years instead of just trusting in Him, I guess.
My guess is Jesus told her to pray for Oprah and leave the rest to Him.