Chanel was quick to apologize to actress Gabourey Sidibe after learning about a claim she made that she was Racially Profiled in one of its boutiques in Chicago when she was there during the filming of "Empire." The 34-year-old actress from the hit series detailed her claim in Lena Dunham' Lenny Letter on Tuesday, May 9, 2017.
Sidibe said she was in the high-end boutique for eyeglasses, but the saleswoman took one look at her and directed her to a discount store across the street. She gave the actress directions to the warehouse in a condescending way to get her out the store quickly.
Gabby said the woman talked to her like she was a child.
The actress concluded that she was dressed up, but the saleswoman took one look at the color of her skin and thought she wasn't worth being helped. She concluded that she was being discriminated against. It might have been because she is black, or it might have been because she is fat. Or it could have been a combination of both.
Gabby said since she was carrying a Chanel bag, the woman should have known she was already a Chanel customer. After another saleswoman recognized that Sidibe was an actress on "Empire," than the original saleswoman's attitude immediately changed and she was eager to help. However, by that time the racial profile had already taken place.
Eventually, Sidibe was able to pick up the items she had gone there to get. She picked up two pairs of scandals for co-star Taraji P. Henson who was too busy filming to pick them up herself. Also, Gabby was able to get two pairs of eyeglasses that she has gone there to get in the first place.
Chanel's apology
As soon as Chanel heard about the claim, officials apologized to Sidibe on Wednesday in a statement to Lenny Letter.
The company stated that it was sorry that Sidibe felt unwelcome and offended. However, an investigation would be conducted to find out exactly what happened. The statement concluded with the familiar words that this behavior is not in line with the way our company treats customers.
Sidibe's book
Gabourey Sidibe had lost a tremendous amount of weight and is not as heavy as she was when he starred in "Precious.
" She received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress for her role in the 2009 film. In March 2017, the actress underwent laparoscopic bariatric surgery to lose weight.
Two weeks ago, she appeared on the "Wendy Williams" show to promote her memoir, "This is Just My Face: Try Not to Stare" that was released on May 1, 2017. Last week, she was a guest on "The Real" where she looked much slimmer on both occasions.
