Vernita Lee death: Mother of Oprah Winfrey dies on Thanksgiving, aged 83

Lee's family has confirmed she passed away at her home in Wisconsin

Oprah Winfrey speaks onstage at the Ambassadors For Humanity Gala Benefiting USC Shoah Foundation Honoring Rita Wilson And Tom Hanks at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on 5 November, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)

Oprah Winfrey's mother Vernita Lee has died at the age of 83.

Lee's family confirmed in a statement to People that Lee passed away on Thanksgiving, at her home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

A spokesperson for Winfrey told the AP news agency that Lee died on 22 November and that private funeral services were held.

Born on 2 May, 1935, Lee was a teenager when she gave birth to Winfrey in Mississippi in 1954. They moved to Milwaukee when Winfrey was six years old.

Lee was featured getting a make-over on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 1990.

She is also survived by another daughter, Patricia Amanda, and four grandchildren.

Lee was predeceased by a son, Jeffrey, and by a daughter, Patricia.

Winfrey shared images of her Thanksgiving celebrations on Instagram but has remained silent on social media for the past few days.

She hasn't publicly commented on her mother's passing, though her followers have started leaving messages of support on her last Instagram publications.

Back in 2012, Winfrey paid tribute to her mother on social media.

She posted an archive photo of herself with Lee, writing next to the image: "Thank you to my mother Vernita Lee for doing the best she knew and could do in raising me."

AP contributed to this report.