Oprah Winfrey pressed the flesh with students at her all-girls school in South Africa while doing damage control with the family of a student allegedly beaten by staff.
Winfrey arrived over the weekend to meet with students at her elite Leadership Academy for Girls, an aide to the daytime chatter queen said.
There’s a school party set for today.
“She’s there to celebrate with the students,” said Winfrey spokeswoman Angela DePaul. “It wasn’t a secret trip. She often goes there on our hiatus.”
“Oprah” is on a holiday break right now, and won’t tape any new shows until January.
Winfrey’s school took a PR beating in October, when students said they were assaulted by school staff.
Winfrey met personally with one of the students, who has since left the academy, and her family.
“The meeting went well. It took about two hours, and I appreciate that Oprah took time to listen,” the girl’s father said, according to People magazine.
The father said his family just wanted to let Winfrey know what happened.
“I am very happy and pleased that Oprah heard our side of the story,” he said. “We have closure.”
The meeting went so well, the girl has decided to re-enroll in Winfrey’s school.
“I am so excited because we were invited to the end-of-year school party,” the dad said.
A former school staffer at the center of the beating controversy, Tiny Makopo, has been criminally charged with roughing up six students and is currently free on bail.