David Letterman v. Oprah
The feud: No one quite knows how a purported 16-year feud started between the two talk-show titans; rumors have circulated that Letterman's awkward 1995 Academy Awards joke on the peculiarity of Oprah and Uma Thurman's names ("Uma? Oprah.") only extended the cold war. Winfrey had appeared on Letterman's show twice in the interim, but later declared she had felt uncomfortable both times.
Chance at reconciliation? Consider it done. The ambiguous hatchet was buried when Oprah took the hot seat for the first time in sixteen years in December 2005. She smiled sweetly and proclaimed ignorance at the supposed feud. Much ado about nothing.
She Said/He Said:
"No, I'm not. I've done the show twice. Both times I was sort of like the
butt of his jokes. I felt completely uncomfortable sitting in that chair,
and I vowed I would not ever put myself in that position again."
— In a 2003 interview with TIME on whether Oprah is snubbing Letterman by not
going on his show.
"Even my mother said tonight she may switch over from Leno,"
— Letterman
quipped before Winfrey walked out on the stage on December 1, 2005.