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Why Oprah Was a No-Show for Julia

Fri., Oct. 19, 2007 10:59 AM PDT by Marc Malkin

Nancy Kaszerman/ZUMApress.com,James Devaney/WireImage.com

On Saturday, I was the first to tell you that Oprah Winfrey had to cancel her appearance at last Friday's American Cinematheque tribute to Julia Roberts because she had to make an "emergency" trip to her all-girls school in South Africa.

No explanation was given at the time, but now the last-minute journey appears to have something to do with a dormitory matron being suspended amid allegations of serious misconduct.

According to the Associated Press, no details were being released about the alleged offense at the 10-month-old Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls at Henley on Klip, just south of Johannesburg.

However, South Africa’s Child Protection Services has been notified, and U.S. and South African private detectives have been hired to investigate the situation, the AP reports.

"Nothing is more serious or devastating to me than an allegation of misconduct by an adult against any girl at the academy," Winfrey said in a statement.