Stars Who Struggled Before Making It Big

Oprah Winfrey

American talk-show host Oprah Winfrey is one of the most successful women in the world and is currently the United States’ first and only multi-billionaire African American person. But before all her unprecedented success, Oprah had a rough upbringing. As a young girl she was raised by her grandmother in rural poverty, but eventually often had to switch between living with her mother Wisconsin and alleged father in Tennessee.

Growing up, she was a victim of sexual abuse and molestation. At age 13, she ran away from home and by 14, she had given birth to a son that died after being born prematurely. She overcame her strife in high school, where she was an honors student and during her senior year, was invited to work part-time at a local black radio station. She worked there through her first two years of college and continued to pursue a career in news.