While departing from a fitness session held in the scenic locale of Santa Barbara, Ms. Winfrey was approached by a reporter from TMZ, a prominent entertainment news outlet, who sought her insights on various trending topics.
"That's not true," she stated when questioned about the supposed payment. "I was paid nothing. Ever."
The renowned talk show host made it clear she preferred not to discuss President-elect Trump's significant victory, saying, "I'm not talking about the election," as she entered her SUV.
When the reporter asked whether she believed Prince Harry might lose his visa under Trump's presidency, she simply closed the door without responding.
On Sunday, the Washington Examiner reported that Winfrey's Harpo Productions had indeed received $1 million from the Harris campaign on October 15, following an event she hosted.
The Harris campaign reportedly spent a total of $1.2 billion during the election, while Trump's campaign expenditures were around $750 million, according to an analysis by the Financial Times, although some estimates suggest Harris's spending could be even greater.
Additionally, Harris is said to have allocated six figures to create the set for her October appearance on the popular podcast "Call Her Daddy," where she conversed with host Alex Cooper.
The Washington Examiner noted that her campaign invested six figures specifically to construct the neutral-toned set for her brief appearance, which was filmed in a hotel room in Washington, D.C., designed to replicate Cooper's actual set in Los Angeles.
The Harris campaign, along with affiliated PACs and the Democratic National Committee, raised over $2.3 billion in political contributions.
After accumulating nearly $4.2 billion, they collectively spent $3.5 billion on the presidential race, marking it as the most expensive election in history, according to the analysis.
Donald Trump's campaign, along with associated PACs and the Republican National Committee, successfully raised $1.8 billion.
In a surprising turn, Trump outperformed Harris in both the electoral and popular votes, a feat not achieved by the GOP in many years, despite his lower spending.
The Examiner investigated how the Harris campaign managed to exhaust such a substantial amount of funds, which included costs related to podcast appearances.
The report indicated that her campaign and its affiliates expended more than $654 million from July until Election Day, while Trump spent $378 million, which is 57 percent less than Harris's total.
One vendor, Village Marketing Agency, received over $3.9 million to engage social media influencers aimed at enhancing Harris' online presence.
Event production, including the podcast appearance, represented a significant expenditure for the campaign, which featured high-profile artists like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry on the eve of the election.
Federal filings indicate that the campaign allocated more than $15 million to various companies for these services.
A clearer picture of their actual expenditures will emerge as the Federal Election Commission requires candidates to submit comprehensive reports within 30 days.
In the aftermath of their defeat to Trump earlier this week, Democrats are still attempting to regroup, with Biden and Harris' teams pointing fingers at one another for mismanaging funds.
Staff members in the White House and on the campaigns are engaged in a relentless blame game, questioning whether the president or vice president truly failed in their efforts.
The campaign not only ended in failure but is also reportedly facing a $20 million debt, according to Politico.
Biden's team claims that the vice president conducted a poor three-month campaign, wasting millions from their primary donors.
"How did you spend $1 billion and not win? What the f***?" expressed a former Biden staffer, frustrated by the excuses from the Harris team.