The "Oprah Dissed at Hermès" story has taken on a new twist. Hermès has now publicly apologized to the founder of Oprah's Book Club. Their explanation of what happened is totally at odds with what the New York Post reported. Hermès says that Oprah came by at 6:45 pm, 15 minutes after the store had already closed. There weren't shoppers inside the store, they were setting up for a private PR event. A security guard gave her a card and asked her to come back the next day. They also say they have security tape to back their version of the story.
"Hermes regrets not having been able to accommodate Ms. Winfrey and her team and to provide her with the service and care that Hermès strives to provide to each and every one of its customers worldwide," the store said in a statement.
"Hermès apologizes for any offense taken due to such circumstances."
The store said the incident occurred on June 14 around 6:45 p.m., about 15 minutes after the store closed. It said Winfrey and her team arrived at a time when "a private PR event was being set up inside."
Harpo Productions spokeswoman Michelle McIntyre said Winfrey "will discuss her 'crash moment' when her show returns from hiatus in September."
Crash is a film dealing with race relations. The phrase "crash moment" refers to situations where a party feels discriminated against on the basis of skin color.
In the meantime, The New York Daily News reported that Oprah was refused entry by a sales clerk and then a store manager, after Oprah asked to come in to buy a watch for her dinner companion, Tina Turner. Hermes vehemently denied the Post's story that they turned her away because the store had been "having a problem with North Africans lately." The CEO of Hermès has called Oprah's people to personally apologize and invite her back to the store. But Oprah's rep says the "Crash Moment" episode is going forward as planned in the fall.
