Gabourey Sidibe Calls Out Chanel for Racial Discrimination
Actress Gabourey Sidibe had a Pretty Woman moment recently. She wrote about her own uncomfortable shopping experience in Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter.
In the article, Sidibe said she went to a Chanel store in Chicago to buy eyeglasses, along with a pair of sandals for her Empire co-star Taraji P. Henson. She was feeling pretty fly about her outfit, but the saleswoman wouldn’t give her the time of day. In fact, she sent Sidibe away.
The 34-year-old wrote: “She gave me the name of a discount frames dealer. I had been at her display for less than a minute, and she was literally directing me to another store.”
Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Sidibe has experienced discrimination while shopping. She admitted it’s something she has had to deal with before and after becoming a recognizable actress.
She confessed in her article, “No matter how dressed up I get, I’m never going to be able to dress up my skin color to look like what certain people perceive to be an actual customer. Depending on the store, I either look like a thief or a waste of time.”
Then there’s the whole weight issue, which has been a running theme in Sidibe’s life. She admitted she didn’t know if the saleswoman didn’t help her because she’s black or because she’s fat.
But in a recent interview with NPR, Gabby opened up about how she has come to feel good about herself, no matter what. She said, “Are you saying I don’t deserve love just because of the body I’m in? … I deserve love,” she said. “People like me deserve love because we’re human.”
Chanel issued the following apology regarding the incident:
“Chanel expresses our sincerest regret for the boutique customer service experience that Ms Sidibe mentioned in the essay she published on a website. We are sorry that she felt unwelcome and offended,” read the statement. “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.”
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