Oprah Winfrey has drawn fresh criticism after a 2004 clip of her ruthlessly questioning Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen about their weight resurfaced on TikTok.
At the time, Mary-Kate was being dogged by headlines about her physical appearance due to a suspected eating disorder. A representative for the Full House stars confirmed Mary-Kate checked into a rehabilitation facility to seek help for the issue the same year the interview aired.
"I know there's been a rumour that has recently surfaced that's really upset you," Oprah asks the twins, who were yet to turn 18, prompting a tense silence.
"You know, the one about the eating," she added.
"Yeah, you know, people are going to write what they're going to write," Ashley replied, attempting to brush off the question.
"We try not to read the good or the bad because it just kind of comes with the territory. Either you're too fat or you're too skinny…"
At this point, Oprah interrupts Ashley mid-sentence to demand of the sisters: "What size are you by the way?"
"Size…?" A visibly shocked Ashley replies, before adding: "I'm short!" as a last-ditch attempt to deflect the invasive question.
At the same time, Mary-Kate also stumbles her way through a vague response, before Oprah interrupts the pair again, this time with a sarcastic tone.
"Oh you're not sure? That's so interesting," she says, prompting the audience to erupt in laughter.
TikTok users were horrified by the old clip, dubbing Oprah "so problematic," and insisting she should have "done better".
"The whole interview was uncomfortable to watch," one user wrote.
"If you were famous I don't know how you would put up with the stuff, I'd just cry," wrote another.
"Oprah, Jesus Christ, shocked at her," one person commented, while a fourth asked simply: "What the hell was going on?"
The early 2000s interview is one of many under scrutiny following the release of the documentary Framing Britney Spears, which examines the media's mistreatment of the troubled pop star.
The film included clips of a Diane Sawyer interview with Britney in which the seasoned journalist brought the 22-year-old pop star to tears with questions about her virginity and relationship with Justin Timberlake, whom she'd recently broken up with.
Various clips of talk show host David Letterman's past interviews with female celebrities have also since been dubbed "awful, horrific and sexist" - including the moment in a 1998 conversation with Jennifer Anniston where he sucked on the Friends star's hair.
