Oprah Racism Episode Denied By Saleswoman in Switzerland
Oprah Winfrey made headlines this past week after she went on Entertainment Tonight and spoke candidly about a perceived racist interaction while she was in Switzerland. Now, the woman she accused of racism is firing back.
It all started when Winfrey walked into Trois Pommes, a high-end Zurich boutique, to shop for a new handbag. Originally, she was shown some from the Jennifer Aniston collection, but after trying to see a $38,000 crocodile bag by Tom Ford, she was denied.
"No no no, you don't want to see that one, you want to see this one, because that one will cost too much and you will not be able to afford that," Oprah recalled the shop assistant saying.
"One more time I tried -- I said, 'But I really do just want to see that one,' and she said, 'I don't want to to hurt your feelings,' and I said, 'Ok thank you so much, you're probably right, I can't afford it and walked out of the store. Now why did she do that?"
Gossip of the news story soon picked up steam, and the general consensus was that Winfrey was denied proper service because of the color of her skin. That would make sense, assuming the conversation actually went down as described. The shop assistant, however, had a much different interpretation of the events.
"I explained to her the bags came in different sizes and materials, like I always do. She looked at a frame behind me. Far above there was the [$40,000] crocodile leather bag. I simply told her that it was like the one I held in my hand, only much more expensive, and that I could show her similar bags."
The shop owner has since apologized for any misunderstandings surrounding the incident, and blames the the misunderstandings on the saleswoman's sloppy English skills. As for the saleswoman? Well, she's now playing the role of victim.
"I would never say something like that to a customer. Really never," the unidentified Italian woman said. "I don't know why she is making these accusations. She is so powerful and I am just a shop girl. I don't know why someone as great as her must cannibalize me on TV."
Subscribe to Latin Post!
Sign up for our free newsletter for the Latest coverage!