Oprah Denied a $38,000 Handbag in Zurich: 'Too Expensive for Her'

Who would think Oprah Winfrey would face racism while shopping?

On a trip to Zurich, Switzerland in July 2013 to attend Tina Turner's wedding, Oprah stopped by the Trois Pommes boutique on Bahnhofstrasse — one of the world's most expensive shopping streets. A crocodile-leather Tom Ford handbag (the "Jennifer" design, priced at 35,000 Swiss francs — about $38,000) caught her eye. Oprah can easily afford it; the sales clerk apparently didn't think so.

When Oprah asked to see the bag, the clerk refused. She told one of the world's richest women — who had earned an estimated $77 million that year, according to Forbes — that the bag was too expensive for her.

What Oprah said happened

"One more time, I tried," Oprah told Entertainment Tonight. "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."

The store's response

Trudie Goetz, owner of Trois Pommes, denied that her staff would treat a customer this way, calling it a misunderstanding. She said the Italian-speaking assistant had wanted to show Oprah the bag in other, less expensive materials like ostrich and suede — and that the "customer is king" at her store.

Swiss tourism officials apologized the same day. Spokeswoman Daniela Baer told the Associated Press: "We are very sorry for what happened to her, of course, because we think all of our guests and clients should be treated respectfully." The tourism office also posted an apology on Twitter, saying the clerk "acted terribly wrong."

The aftermath

Oprah later said she regretted how the story blew up. At The Butler premiere, she told reporters: "I'm really sorry that it got blown up. I purposefully did not mention the name of the store. I'm sorry that I said it was Switzerland." She said she had mentioned it only as an example of being in a place "where people don't expect that you would be able to be there."

If a person as rich and influential as Oprah Winfrey could be treated this way while shopping — what does that say about how ordinary people are treated?

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