<div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>American chat show queen </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/oprah-winfrey" rel="" target="_blank" title="Oprah Winfrey"><span>Oprah Winfrey</span></a><span> on February 26, 1998 emerged the winner in her legal battle over remarks she made about beef burgers.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>A jury in </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/texas" rel="" target="_blank" title="Texas"><span>Texas</span></a><span>, rejected a $20 million lawsuit brought by cattle farmers who blamed Winfrey's popular talk show for a price fall after a segment on food safety that included a discussion about </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/us-beef-import-bans-to-australia-lifted-amid-tariff-battles/40996642-b0be-4352-b065-ea82ed960190" rel="" target="_blank" title="mad cow disease"><span>mad cow disease</span></a><span>.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The legal stoush began in 1996 when animal rights activist Howard Lyman was a guest on </span><em><span>The Oprah Winfrey Show</span></em><span> in an episode titled </span><em><span>Dangerous Food</span></em><span>.</span></div></div><div><div id="adspot-mobile-medium"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/national/record-flu-deaths-australia-highest-this-century/c40c04e2-3a0a-4213-a24d-0c409096de52" rel="" target="_blank" title="Australia just recorded its highest number of flu deaths in the 21st century."><strong><span>Australia just recorded its highest number of flu deaths in the 21st century.</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Mad cow disease - Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy (BSE) - was already in the headlines because a UK study showed it was linked with a human brain illness.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Lyman predicted in front of millions of TV viewers there would be a major impact on American beef, prompting Winfrey to declare his remarks "stopped me cold from eating another burger".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Within two weeks of the show's broadcast, US beef prices collapsed to a 10-year low, with some cattle ranchers blaming Winfrey.</span></div></div><div><div class="OUTBRAIN" data-reactroot="" data-src="//www.9news.com.au/world/today-in-history-february-26-what-happened-on-this-day-oprah-winfrey-defamation-case/03214856-2bf3-4a90-9c10-8e744bb779f1" data-widget-id="AR_5"></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>In December 1997, a group of executives sued Winfrey and the show's producers for defamation, blaming them for lost business mounting to billions of dollars.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>The beef industry cited the False Disparagement of Perishable Food Products legislation in Texas, which enabled farmers and food companies to silence critics of their products.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><span>READ MORE:</span></strong><span> </span><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/world/jeffrey-epstein-bill-gates-took-responsibility-over-epstein-ties-in-townhall-with-staff/1461f53a-06da-4e47-af4a-af5e0bd17a40" rel="" target="_blank" title="Bill Gates apologises to staff over Epstein links"><strong><span>Bill Gates apologises to staff over Epstein links</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>But Winfrey refused to take the legal attack lying down.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>She moved her entire show to the Texas town of Amarillo where the case was being heard. While a gag order prevented Winfrey from talking about the case on her show, the media circus attracted plenty of supporters and animal rights activists.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Finally, the court rejected the cattle industry case.</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><span>Emerging victorious from the courthouse, Winfrey declared: "Free speech not only lives, it rocks".</span></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><a href="https://www.9news.com.au/today-in-history" target="" title="For more from our Today in History archive, click here."><strong><span>For more from our Today in History archive, click here</span></strong></a></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><strong><em><span>NEVER MISS A STORY:</span></em></strong><span> </span><em><span>Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.</span></em></div></div><div class="block-content"><div class="styles__Container-sc-1ylecsg-0 goULFa"><ul><li><strong><em><span>Download the 9NEWS App here via</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://apps.apple.com/au/app/9news/id1010533727" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Apple</span></em></strong></a><span> </span><strong><em><span>and</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=nineNewsAlerts.nine.com&amp;hl=en_AU&amp;pli=1" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>Google Play</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Make 9News your preferred source on Google by</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://9.nine.com.au/8x987w" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>ticking this box here</span></em></strong></a></li><li><strong><em><span>Sign up to</span></em></strong><span> </span><a href="https://login.nine.com.au/edm?client_id=nineatnine" target="_blank"><strong><em><span>our breaking newsletter here</span></em></strong></a></li></ul></div></div>