Oprah Winfrey's brush with racism in Swiss boutique sparks international uproar after employee refused to show her $38K bag

Oprah Winfrey revealed she had a racist encounter while shopping in Switzerland — and the country's national tourist office issued a public apology for the experience.

Switzerland is desperately trying to make peace with Oprah Winfrey.
A trip to a tony Zurich shop ended in a disturbing racial encounter for the billionaire media mogul — a national humiliation that forced the Swiss tourism board to issue a public apology.
Winfrey said she was in town for Tina Turner’s wedding last month and stopped in the posh Trois Pommes boutique where she asked a clerk to see a $38,000 Tom Ford bag behind a glass case.
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Oprah Winfrey (right) arrives at her hotel in Zurich last month for Tina Turner's wedding celebration weekend.

“She says, ‘No, it’s too expensive,’” Winfrey, 59, recounted to Entertainment Tonight this week.
“She said, ‘No, no, no you want to see this one because that one will cost too much. You won’t be able to afford that one.’”
“She refused to get it ... she said, ‘I don’t want to hurt your feelings,’ and I said, ‘Okay, thank you so much, you’re probably right I can’t afford it.' Now why does she do that?”
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Winfrey didn't name the store, but it was later revealed to be a boutique for the fashion label 'Trois Pommes' in Zurich. Winfrey told Entertainment Tonight she wanted a closer look at a handbag selling for around $38,000, but the seller refused to take it off the shelf, telling Winfrey, 'No, it's too expensive.'

Winfrey, who Forbes estimates earned $77 million between June 2012 and June 2013, said she left without making a further scene over the “Jennifer” bag, which is named for Jennifer Aniston, rather than give the clerk a commission.
“I could have had the big blow up thing and thrown down the black card but why do that,” Winfrey said during the interview to publicize her new movie, “Lee Daniels' The Butler.”
Swiss officials are reeling over the bad publicity.