Poor widdle queen Oprah - Ping!
Posted on 06/24/2005 10:45:33 AM PDT by TightyRighty
Oprah Winfrey may be the world's most powerful celebrity, as well as the reigning Queen of Daytime, but apparently those titles hold little sway with Hermes.
The luxury goods retailer has issued a red-faced apology after refusing the talk-show host entry to one of its Paris boutiques last week.
According to a statement from Hermes, Winfrey and "an entourage" tried to enter the Hermes boutique on the Rue du Faubourg Saint-Honore at about 6:45 p.m. on June 14.
Though the store's normal closing time is 6:30 p.m., many high-end retailers routinely make exceptions for celebrities and other VIPs. However, according to Hermes, the boutique was in the midst of setting up "a private public relations event" at the time Winfrey stopped by.
"Hermes regrets not having been able to welcome Madame Oprah Winfrey and the people accompanying her to give them all the attention and service that Hermes is committed to giving each of its clients in the world," said the statement. "Hermes expresses its sincere regrets for any misunderstanding that these circumstances could have caused."
However, Gayle King, a pal of Winfrey's, who was with her at the time of the incident, disputes Hermes' version of events.
"People were in the store and they were shopping. Oprah was at the door and she was not allowed into the store," King told Entertainment Tonight. "Oprah describes it herself as 'one of the most humiliating moments of her life.' "
Not that Winfrey is letting the incident keep her down.
"She's really okay," King said. "Her position is, 'I will shop where people appreciate my business, and I don't believe that any longer includes Hermes.' "
Winfrey's Chicago-based Harpo Productions confirmed that the daytime diva canceled a recent order for one of Hermes' Birkin bags following the incident. The exclusive purses can cost as much as $6,500 and Winfrey reportedly already owns a dozen of them.
Winfrey also informed Robert Chavez, the American president of Hermes, that she would no longer be patronizing his stores.
Meanwhile, though The Oprah Winfrey Show is currently on hiatus, a spokesperson for the show confirmed that Winfrey plans to devote a show to her "Crash moment" in September.
Crash, which stars Don Cheadle and is currently in theaters, paints a bleak picture of racial intolerance.
Last week, Winfrey was named number one on Forbes magazine's Celebrity 100, up from her 2004 standing of number three. Her 12-month earnings were estimated at a hefty $225 million.
And that would buy a lot of bags. Too bad, Hermes.
Doprah is so mad, she will buy Hermes, fire everyone and sell the trademark to K-Mart. She's rich enough!
Well hell, why don't she just buy Hermes out. Then she can go there anytime she wants. I'm sure she can afford it.
Shows how much I know - if I show up at a place after they close, and they don't let me in, I just go along my merry little way.
This has happened to Oprah before, except not after closing hours. I remember her briefly mentioning it on her show a long time ago. She and Hermes will make nice and she'll be back buying his stuff once again. I loved France but my mom didn't like it,combination of the race thing and Paris being dirtier than New York City on NYC's worst day.
I've had 'crash moments' and also am a rape survivor. I would not say meeting up against people and their racial dramas was humiliating. It was enlightened and actually humorous to me.
And all this right after she had a DNA test done and found out that she's actually a Zulu....Oh my...how crestfallen the poor little diddums must be...
Are they racist, really?
I do think she's being a bit drammatic about it. She's got enough power that Hermes will actually do something about her grieviance. People like my mom who've had truly embrassing experiences don't have millions and a ready audience of millions to defend her. They move on and life continues.
Rethinking this, even I'd be humiliated, and I'm a nobody.
The reaction of humiliation is a normal reaction, celebrity or nobody.
Poor widdle queen Oprah - Ping!
Today I think so but no more racist than Long Island, New York where I live. I've known black people who were in Paris years ago and said it was the place to be for black people, more freedom than the USA. If my mother had an American accent, I think it would have made things worse. There's racism all over the world, but if you going looking for it, racism will certainly find you.
Next time bang on the window and yell, "Hey, do you know who I am?" THEN go on your merry way.
This sounds like a very very dumb business decision on the part of Hermes.
I read in one of these stories that she was wearing sweats and looked totally unkempt. Many stores, especially ones where customers must be 'buzzed in' won't let you in if you don't 'fit their profile'. Just try waltzing in to Harry Winston's with your underware hanging out of your pants and see how far you get. Oprah should just shut up.
Originally Hermes said they wouldn't let her in because she was black and they were having trouble with North Africans.
I would call that racist.
North Africans aren't even really black. They look like Saddamy or Freddie Mercury *lol* So somewhere in between accounts of this story is the truth.
If I had a store and Oprah showed up at my bedroom window at 3am with a flashlight, I'd be dressed and down there to sell her whatever she wanted to buy.
She's making $225 million a year!
Funny thing, I went into Jakob the Jeweler and got excellent service with my underwear hanging out...(kidding, I'm kidding)
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