Oprah Winfrey is on the hot seat for allegedly stealing the idea behind her hit show “Iyanla: Fix My Life.”
According to Otisa C. Strickland of Mississippi, the OWN show featuring life coach Iyanla Vanzant is a “carbon copy” of her own work, a proposed show called “The Agency,” reports TMZ.
“The two television shows are virtually identical,” Strickland wrote in the suit filed on Tuesday, Oct. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. “Both shows involve a counselor that travels all over the United States to people homes [sic] to counsel them about their problems.”
As for how Winfrey, 62, gained access to the concept, Strickland claims Winfrey lifted the idea back in 2011, when the pair battled it out over a possible case of copyright infringement surrounding a second OWN show. Strickland claims the shows are identical. However, in a response attached to the suit, the Oprah Winfrey Network claimed that Strickland’s show, “Conflict Solutions,” featured a completely different concept based on a judge resolving disputes, rather than a sex therapist helping couples, reports The Wrap.
In 2012, “Iyanla: Fix My Life” first premiered featuring story lines surrounding broken families and a closeted gay pastor, among other things, quickly garnering a large fan base. Just last month, the hit series returned for its sixth season, drawing 670K total viewers according to Nielsen — though falling short 7 percent compared to its Season 5 premiere.
Strickland, who is seeking unspecified damages, is representing herself in the case, reports say. Meanwhile, Winfrey has yet to respond to Strickland’s claims. Let us know your thoughts on the accusations made against the media mogul in the comment section below.
