Oprah: No apologies needed

Agence France-Presse

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Talk queen says luxury shop incident no indictment on Switzerland

PLAYING IT DOWN. 'I'm really sorry that it got blown up,' says Oprah

LOS ANGELES, USA – That incident with Oprah Winfrey at a luxury boutique in Switzerland does not warrant an apology from the country, the US talk queen said. 

READ: Racism greets Oprah Winfrey in Swiss shop

Winfrey, who claims she was the subject of racism when an assistant at the Trois Pommes boutique in Zurich refused to show her an expensive handbag, said the incident wasn’t “an indictment against the country.”

“I’m really sorry that it got blown up,” she told journalists at the red carpet premiere of “The Butler” in Los Angeles on Monday, August 13. 

“I purposefully did not mention the name of the store.

“I’m sorry that I said it was Switzerland.”

The talk queen was in Zurich to attend Tina Turner’s wedding.

While out shopping at “a name-brand store,” Winfrey, one of the world’s richest women, saw a $38,000 crocodile handbag that she brought to the attention of the shop assistant. 

“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 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.'”

Watch Oprah’s interview here:

Winfrey is worth an estimated $2.8 billion, according to Forbes magazine.

In the ensuing media frenzy, Trois Pommes has said the incident was a misunderstanding and the Swiss tourist office has apologized to Winfrey.

Trudie Goetz, owner of the luxury retail store, told AFP the shop assistant was being kind to offer cheaper options.

In another interview, he said the shop assistant was “embarrassed about the price” of the handbag.

Pressed by journalists Monday, Winfrey said, “No apologies necessary from the country of Switzerland. If somebody makes a mistake in the United States, do we apologize in front of the whole country? No!” – Rappler.com

Oprah Winfrey photo from Shutterstock

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