Oprah Winfrey will officially shut down Harpo Studios in Chicago, Illinois in December. Harpo Productions will transition to West Hollywood, California, where OWN is run.
As we previously reported, Winfrey sold Harpo Studios, the former home of The Oprah Winfrey Show, back in March 2014 for around $32 million.
Chicago Sun-Times reports Winfrey said in a statement on Tuesday about the official closing of the studios that it was her “home” for three decades. She was there in person to tell the staff about the official closing.
Harpo Studios in Chicago was not just my home but also my life for nearly 30 years,” she said. “I’ve spent more time there than anywhere else. I am so proud of what we created. It has been a blessing in my life and I thank everyone who has been a part of this great run.”
Winfrey added, “I am now looking ahead to inhabiting the new space on The Lot in California and carrying on the legacy of Harpo Studios with OWN programming.”
Harpo Studios employed around 200 people. It hosted The Oprah Winfrey Show from 1990 to 2011.
image via Z15/ACE/INFphoto.com