Oprah Winfrey says she was the subject of racism after a shop assistant refused to show her a pricey handbag
US TV host Oprah Winfrey. Source: AP
OPRAH Winfrey has received a formal apology from Swiss tourism representatives after she allegedly became the victim of racism while shopping in Zurich.
The talk show icon claimed earlier this week a shop assistant at an upmarket store in Switzerland refused to let her examine a designer purse because it was too expensive.
Winfrey was convinced the incident, which happened last month, occurred because she is black, but the boutique's owner, Trudie Goetz, has since spoken out to insist it was simply a ''misunderstanding''.
Goetz said the store worker was merely advising the star to try some similar but less expensive bags on the shop's first floor.
Now officials from the Swiss Tourism Office have waded into the race debate and issued a statement apologising for the way Winfrey was treated.
The press release reads: ''Switzerland Tourism is deeply sorry to learn about the experience Ms Winfrey recently had in Switzerland, and we apologise that her feelings were hurt. We would like to assure Ms Winfrey - like any visitor to Switzerland - that she is welcome with open arms.''
Tourism reps also reached out to Winfrey directly via Twitter.com, adding, ''We are fuming - this person acted terribly wrong. We are sorry this happened to Oprah.''
Winfrey was in Switzerland for Tina Turner's wedding, where, coincidentally, Goetz was also a guest.
Winfrey, one of the richest women in the world, said she had been in Zurich for US singer Tina Turner's wedding in July and had spotted a swanky crocodile handbag while out shopping.
"I'm in a store, a name-brand store. I'm by myself, absolutely nobody else with me. And I say to the woman, 'I would like to see that bag on the shelf'," Winfrey told fellow US talk show host Larry King on internet channel ora.tv.
"And she says, 'No, that one's too expensive. I'll show you this one'," said Winfrey.
She did not directly describe the incident as racist, but recounted it after telling King of a "racist moment" in New York years ago when she and her hairdresser were refused entry to a luxury store which had been robbed by two black people.
Goetz, head of the Swiss luxury chain Trois Pommes, denied her saleswoman had ever sought to stop Winfrey buying the bag.
"Everyone wants to sell a crocodile bag," Ms Goetz said.
"It's a misunderstanding," she said, adding that the saleswoman always put the customer first and tried to be "too kind".
"She explained how beautiful the bag was, then she said, 'Honestly this bag costs 35,000 Swiss francs ($42,000), but I can show you other versions in ostrich, in pure leather and in velour'," Ms Goetz said.
The price is small change for Winfrey, whose wealth is estimated at $US2.8 billion ($3 billion) by Forbes magazine.
Winfrey joked that she had been tempted to buy up the entire store, recalling a scene in the movie Pretty Woman where Julia Roberts' prostitute character has the last laugh in a snobbish shop.
"I wanted to create a Pretty Woman moment and come back and buy everything and say, 'Big mistake!'. But then I thought she'd get a commission, so let's not do that," she told King.
Ms Goetz said no disciplinary action was planned against the saleswoman.
"She's a great person. She's highly qualified. She also works in the shop in St Moritz and she takes care of prestigious clients," she said.
Trois Pommes was still considering how to respond to the claims, and would take legal advice, she added.
Winfrey, 59, was last month named the most powerful celebrity in the world by Forbes.
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