Was Oprah wearing ankle bracelet during Harry & Meghan interview? Fact Check

Conspiracies online claim that Oprah Winfrey was wearing an ankle bracelet during her interview with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle in March 2021.

FALSE

An example of the claim on social media is below –

Why does Oprah have an ankle tag?

The conspiracies derive from a series of assertions often associated with conspiracy theorists following the QAnon branch of claims, where the fundamental theme is that there exists a large network of Satanist, cannibalistic pedophiles in the world of celebrity, politics and business that control the world. The conspiracy also claims that former president Donald Trump had been covertly waging war again this network.

Offshoots of the conspiracy claim that celebrities have been arrested in relation to these crimes, and consequently have ankle bracelets attached to them so that law enforcement can track their activities and location. Previous incarnations of this hoax have previously targeted TV host Ellen.

Sponsored Content. Continued below...

A more skeptical look at the claims predictably reveals nothing untoward. Oprah was wearing long brown leather boots. Anyone who has worn similar apparel will likely attest that the boots can crease and cause bumps, especially when sitting down crossed legged, as Oprah was for the majority of the interview.

Other images show the same bulge but less pronounced.

Additionally for the same interview, Oprah had visited Harry and Meghan’s house, where she is wearing a different outfit and there are no ankle bulges to speak of (below.)

Claims that Oprah was wearing an ankle bracelet appear entirely based on unreasoned and specious conjecture and assumptions surrounding trivial observations, as is often the case with these types of conspiracies. The notion that one of the most well-known celebrities, and as such one of the most photographed celebrities, could keep a large ankle bracelet hidden from the public is nonsensical; as is the claim that while she was attempting to keep the bracelet hidden, Oprah opted to make it visible underneath her boot during one of the most watched interviews in television history.

There is nothing to suggest Oprah was wearing any type of ankle bracelet, and we rank the claim false.