Savannah James, wife of LeBron James, was given discouraging service at a Hermès location in Italy that resulted in an employee being fired.
Mrs. James and her close friend and podcast co-host April McDaniel recounted the incident on the Friday (August 7) episode of Danielle Robay’s podcast Question Everything.
Around the 52-minute mark of the video below, McDaniel said they had personally arranged Hermès shopping appointments during a European trip. Upon their arrival to a store in Milan, the women were allegedly mistreated by an employee.
McDaniel recalled not hesitating to step in for her longtime friend. “And fired a lady. I said, ‘We’ll be back for you. I’ll be right back. Baby you caught the wrong one today,'” she told the salesperson, describing Savannah as “very nice” unlike herself.
Staffers eventually resolved the situation by inviting Savannah and McDaniel to a private showing where champagne and macarons were served. “They brought out everything,” Savannah said.
During a separate incident at a Chanel boutique in France, a sales associate told Savannah not to touch a miniature bag on the floor, although McDaniel didn’t notice signage that indicated the piece was off-limits.
“Typically when it’s like a exclusive situation, it’ll say, don’t touch,” Savannah said. “I can read. Very much so. And I can see very clearly. And there was nothing that said, don’t touch. And I’m in a merchandise store. That man said, ‘Don’t touch.'”
For years, Hermès has been accused of racial profiling, from turning away billionaire entertainment mogul Oprah Winfrey in 2005, to a January investigative story alleging that the brand withholds access to their merchandise depending on customers’ addresses and purchase histories among other factors.
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