After actress Gabourey Sidibe revealed that she was racially profiled at a Chanel boutique in Chicago, the fashion house issued an apology.
The “Empire” star shared details of the incident on Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter blog, writing that the saleswoman tried to get her to shop at a store across the street to buy her sunglasses.
“I knew what she was doing. She had decided after a single look at me that I wasn’t there to spend any money. Even though I was carrying a Chanel bag, she decided I wasn’t a Chanel customer and so, not worth her time and energy,” Sidibe wrote.
It wasn’t until other employees of color at the store pointed out who Sidibe was that the woman was willing to be of service.
Despite the encounter, Sidibe says she still purchased two pairs of frames and two pairs of sandals for her co-star Taraji P. Henson, who was unable to leave the set.
“Unfortunately, I’m used to people giving me bad service. Honestly, if I walked out of every store where someone was rude to me,” she added, “I’d never have anything nice.”
Chanel issued a statement on the matter on Wednesday, stating, “We are sorry that she felt unwelcome and offended. We took her words very seriously and immediately investigated to understand what happened, knowing that this is absolutely not in line with the high standards that Chanel wishes to provide to our customers.”