Oprah Winfrey, one of the richest celebrities in the world, was not recognized in Switzerland, where she says she recently experienced racism while trying to look at an expensive handbag. The Swiss tourism office quickly offered an apology after Winfrey spoke about her experiences in a recent interview.
The Lee Daniels’ The Butler star spoke with Entertainment Tonight earlier this week, recalling how a clerk refused to show her a handbag at a Zurich store. She had been in the country for Tina Turner’s wedding last month and said that, while she didn’t make a big fuss at the time, it was clear that racism still exists.
CBS News notes that Winfrey told ET’s Nancy O’Dell that she wanted to see a bag that was worth $40,000. “No. It's too expensive,” the shopkeeper said.
“One more time, I tried. I said, 'But I really do just want to see that one,' and the shopkeeper said, 'Oh, I don't want to hurt your feelings,' and I said, 'Okay, thank you so much. You're probably right, I can't afford it.' And I walked out of the store,” she recalled.
“I could've had the whole blow-up thing and thrown down the black card, but why do that? But that clearly is, you know ... it (racism) still exists. Of course it does.”
According to USA Today, Daniela Baer of the Swiss tourism told the AP that “we are very sorry for what happened to her.” The office also tweeted that “this person acted terribly wrong.”
“You'll find here very friendly people,” Christian Trottmann, the head of corporate communications for Zurich Tourism told CBS News. “We are, I would say, quite an open-minded city. We are used to having people from all nations and all cultures.”
If Oprah really wants the handbag, she could easily take another trip to Zurich. After all, she made $77 million in the past year.
image: ABC
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