Johnson Rice releases statement in Oprah-Defender spat

By Chicago Defender
Staff Report

Linda Johnson Rice, president and CEO of Johnson Publishing Company issued the following news statement Friday in response to Oprah Winfrey’s statement that a Chicago Defender column by executive editor Roland S. Martin criticizing her for not releasing a statement or attending the Aug. 15 funeral of Ebony and Jet magazines founder, John H. Johnson, was “unfair.”

“Ms. Winfrey said she sent flowers and a note to the chapel and we have no reason to question her statement. She called me yesterday and explained that she had sent the flowers and a note. Unfortunately, they did not come to my family’s attention and we were unaware that they were delivered. No one has been able to locate her note or flowers, but I do want to thank her for her supportive expression of sympathy and kind words of tribute to my father.

We thank her and look forward to the upcoming tribute to my father’s legacy on her show. We also thank the Chicago Defender and their executive editor, Roland S. Martin, for all of their truly wonderful commemorative efforts in saluting the life of my father.”