Oprah Winfrey is apologizing for creating a media firestorm around her recent trip to Switzerland in which she claimed a store clerk refused to show her a $40,000 handbag because of the color of her skin.
Speaking to reporters Monday, the talk show mogul says she is “sorry” for putting both the store, Trois Pommes and the country on blast after speaking with Entertainment Tonight about her racist encounter. Winfrey explained the red carpet for the premiere of Lee Daniels’ The Butler, as quoted by New York Daily News, “I think that incident in Switzerland was just an incident in Switzerland. 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."
The Swiss Tourism office has since offered Winfrey and apology and Zürich Tourism has offered their own statement in hopes to clear the air.
The store clerk has since denied any wrong doing saying, “Good manners and politeness are the Alpha and the Omega in this business.” The unidentified woman said if she was given the chance she would apologize to Winfrey.
Image: ABC