Oprah Caught “Shopping While Black”
By James Hill, BET.com Staff Writer
Posted June 22, 2005 -- Oprah Winfrey fell victim recently to a very common ailment among African Americans – Shopping While Black.
Employees at Hermes, a famous luxury goods store in Paris known for its high-end purses, denied Winfrey entrance, saying they did not recognize the billionaire, according to The New York Daily News. The staffers said they thought Winfrey might be trouble, citing that they’ve had “a problem with North Africans lately.”
The Daily News spoke to a supposed “pal” of Oprah’s, who said, “They knew exactly who she was. They specificially said, ‘We know who you are.’”
The source also told The Daily News that Oprah arrived at the store near closing time, though there were still shoppers inside, to buy a watch for friend and singer Tina Turner.
Though Winfrey has reportedly spent thousands in the store, the paper reports that she has cancelled her latest order and even called Robert Chaves, president of Hermes America, to inform him that she will no longer patronize any of his stores.