“I don’t know why that saleswoman didn’t want to help me. I suspect it’s because I’m black,” Gabby Sidibe Accuses Chanel of Racial Profiling

Chanel has issued an apology to actress Gabourey Sidibe after she claims she was racially profiled at one of their stores in Chicago. Gabby wrote of her experience in Lenny Letter. Gabby alleges that she asked to look at Chanel eyeglasses to which the saleswomen responded:

“We don’t have any. “We only have shades. There’s a store across the street that sells eyeglasses.”

But Gabby knew of this type of behavior

 “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,”

It wasn’t until other store associates of color noticed that she was famous that the original saleswomen changed her tune and helped Gabby.

Chanel issued an apology to Gabourey Sidibe after she claimed she was racially profiled in one its stores.

 “Unfortunately, I’m used to people giving me bad service. Honestly, if I walked out of every store where someone was rude to me,”  “I’d never have anything nice.”

“To be fair, I don’t know why that saleswoman didn’t want to help me. I suspect it’s because I’m black, but it could also be because I’m fat. Maybe my whole life, every time I thought someone was being racist, they were actually mistreating me because I’m fat.

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Fat, black, tall, short, yellow, or blue no one should be dismissed by a salesperson for the way they physically look. The Chanel name carries so must class but that saleswomen was definitely class-less.

In an update on the Lenny Letter site Chanel issued this apology:

Chanel expresses our sincerest regret for the boutique customer service experience that Ms. Sidibe mentioned in this essay. 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.

We are strongly committed to provide anyone who comes in our boutiques with the best customer service, and we do hope that in the future Ms. Sidibe will choose to come back to a Chanel boutique and experience the real Chanel customer experience.

While you’re here be sure to check out Gabby’s incredible feature in Nylon magazine HERE.

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