"As the person who controlled access to the first couple, Valerie Jarrett saw Oprah as a potential threat to her power."

Writes Edward Klein, author of a new book about Obama:

If Oprah went unchecked, she would bypass Valerie and go directly to the president and first lady. What good was it being the gatekeeper if you couldn’t lock the gate when you wanted? And so Valerie set about turning Michelle against Oprah. Oprah was too close to the president... Oprah was acting like she was the first lady... Oprah didn’t know her place...  Oprah was a bad influence... Valerie advised Michelle to “distance herself” from Oprah and cut her out of the White House inner circle.



It didn’t take much to convince Michelle. As Michelle knew only too well, her husband had a compelling need to win the approval of strong women like Oprah....

“Michelle is very jealous, I would say unusually so,” said someone who was very close to Oprah. “Most people after years of marriage have trust and don’t follow their husbands around and check on them. Michelle doesn’t seem to trust Barack at all. She insists on knowing his every movement and drops in on him at all kinds of odd times. It’s been the buzz of the White House....

“Michelle talked to Gayle King about it, just talking as friends. She has become much closer to Gayle than to Oprah, to Oprah’s anger and surprise. She told Gayle that if she found out her husband was running around, she wouldn’t keep quiet. Gayle was kind of astonished that she would say that.”

Man, people are gossiping! Much more at the link, including the quote, supposedly the real words of Oprah: “Michelle hates fat people and doesn’t want me waddling around the White House!” That was after Oprah tried to get in on Michelle's obesity-fighting action. And here's the corresponding Michelle quote: “Oprah only wants to cash in...."

And Edward Klein has a book to sell. 

On the topic of Obama and his relationship to "strong women," here's a slideshow on the subject chez Wapo.