Oprah Confronts Lesbian Rumors

In a tearful interview, Oprah Winfrey told Barbara Walters why the persistent rumors about a lesbian relationship with her best friend, Gayle King, irritate her.

During the interview scheduled to air Thursday night on ABC, Walters asked Oprah about the "dumb rumors" regarding the nature of her relationship with King.

"Well, I have said we are not gay enough times," said Winfrey. "I'm not lesbian. I'm not even kind of lesbian. And the reason why it irritates me is because it means somebody must think I'm lying. That's number one. Number two, why would you want to hide it? That is not the way I run my life."

Walters said the interview presents Winfrey at her most "revealing," where she apparently admits her fears about ending her long-running talk show to start her OWN network next year.

Watch the preview.