Oprah Sued for Defamation by Former Head of South African School

The ex-headmistress of Oprah Winfrey's school for girls in South Africa is suing the talk show host for defamation, claiming Winfrey falsely suggested she tried to cover up abuse at the school. In widely reported remarks last year, Winfrey suggested that Nomvuyo Mzamane, 39, of Philadelphia, knew about alleged abuse by a dorm matron and tried to cover it up, Mzamane says in the lawsuit. Her lawsuit, filed in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court Friday, seeks more than $250,000 on five defamation and related counts from Winfrey and her production company. "The thing that hurt my client the most was when Oprah said, 'I thought she cared about the girls of South Africa,' " said Mzamane's lawyer, Timothy McGowan. "It was devastating. She loved those girls." A spokeswoman for Winfrey says the company has not seen the suit and plans no immediate comment.