A gastrointestinal problem and resulting dehydration sent TV mogul Oprah Winfrey to the emergency room and left her unable to announce the latest pick in her long-running book club.
In a video chat with her best friend Gayle King posted to Instagram, Ms. Winfrey said, “I was in the emergency room, I was so dehydrated. I had a dry mouth and I couldn’t keep enough water down to get hydrated, so I went to the emergency room for that, and that’s just it … I was too weak to get on the plane.”
As a result of her stomach virus, Ms. Winfrey missed an appearance on CBS Mornings, which Ms. King co-hosts, to announce a book club pick, “Familiaris” by David Wroblewski. The book is a sequel to Mr. Wroblewski’s debut “The Story of Edgar Sawtelle,” which was a pick for the club in 2008.
Ms. King said in her Instagram post that Ms. Winfrey was not hospitalized. Ms. Winfrey also explained that five other people in her household had also fallen ill.
“Ms. Winfrey is recovering following a stomach virus and received an IV due to dehydration at the recommendation of her doctor. She is resting and feeling better every day,” a representative for Ms. Winfrey told People.
A person close to Ms. Winfrey who was not authorized to speak publicly told the Los Angeles Times that the illness had no relation to Ms. Winfrey’s use of weight-loss medication.
In December, Ms. Winfrey publicized her use of the drugs, and left the board of Weight Watchers International in February.
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