BILLIONAIRE chat show host Oprah Winfrey has revealed she was the victim of racism when a shop assistant refused to show her a handbag - saying it would be too expensive for her.
The TV star - one of the richest women in the world - was in Zurich, Switzerland for pal Tina Turner's wedding when she decided to go shopping.
Winfrey told Entertainment Tonight: "I was in Zurich the other day, in a store whose name I will not mention. I didn't have my eyelashes on, but I was in full Oprah Winfrey gear.
"I had my little Donna Karan skirt and my little sandals. But obviously The Oprah Winfrey Show is not shown in Zurich.
"I go into a store and I say to the woman, 'Excuse me, may I see the bag right above your head?' and she says to me, 'No. It's too expensive.'"
Winfrey said that she insisted again and the assistant told her: "No, no you don t want to see that one, you want to see this one because that one will cost too much. You will not be able to afford that."
The assistant then started to show the media owner smaller bags before she asked for a third time and was refused again.
The 59-year-old said: "She said, 'Oh I don t want to hurt your feelings' and I said, 'Ok thank you so much you re probably right I can t afford it."
Winfrey - the world's only African-American billionaire - then said she walked calmly out of the shop.
She said: "clearly is you know - it (racism) still exists, of course it does."