The media mogul's parent had the men's hair salon in Nashville, Tennessee, and his wife - Oprah's stepmother - is apparently angry about her buying it.
Barbara Winfrey told NBC station television station WSMV-TV: "I know what is going on. I'm tired of it, and I've had enough."
Vernon has run a barber shop for 50 years and it is considered a fixture in his community. A year ago, he and Barbara bought a new building, refurbished it and moved the business into it. However, Barbara revealed that they owed the bank US$481,000 and that the business was only worth US$350,000 before the bank auctioned it off.
Oprah was the highest bidder and completed the sale for US$475,000.
