Oprah's a liar': Sales assistant in Swiss racist handbag row denies telling TV host that she could not view item because she couldn't afford it

The sales assistant who refused to show U.S. talkshow billionaire Oprah Winfrey a luxury handbag costing nearly £25,000 claims the superstar lied about what happened in the luxury Swiss boutique where she works.
Speaking anonymously to Sunday newspaper SonntagsBlick, the Italian bag lady said she felt 'powerless' and in the grip of a 'cyclone' after Winfrey went on TV in America to claim she had been the victim of racism.
Winfrey was in Switzerland in July when she walked into the Trois Pommes boutique in Zurich looking for a handbag to match the outfit she was going to wear to old friend Tina Turner's wedding.
She claims the sales assistant refused to show her the black crocodile leather bag because - seeing a black woman - she automatically assumed she would not be able to afford it.
Now the saleslady has hit back, stating: 'I wasn't sure what I should present to her when she came in on the afternoon of Saturday July 20 so I showed her some bags from the Jennifer Aniston collection.
'I explained to her the bags came in different sizes and materials, like I always do.
'She looked at a frame behind me. Far above there was the 35,000 Swiss franc crocodile leather bag. 
'I simply told her that it was like the one I held in my hand, only much more expensive, and that I could show her similar bags.
'It is absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds. I even asked her if she wanted to look at the bag.  
'She looked around the store again but didn't say anything else. Then she went with her companion to the lower floor. My colleague saw them to the door. They were not even in the store for five minutes.'
She emphatically denied ever saying to Winfrey: 'You don't want to see this bag. It is too expensive.  You cannot afford it.'

Speaking anonymously, the assistant at Trois Pommes, in Zurich, Switzerland (pictured) said it is 'absolutely not true that I declined to show her the bag on racist grounds'

Ms Goetz said: 'Everyone wants to sell a crocodile bag. It’s a misunderstanding' and insisted her saleswomen put customers first and try to be 'kind'

The shop assistant said she only sells a £25,000 handbag a few times a year and said the racist claims are 'absurd'

The saleslady went on: 'This is not true. This is absurd. I would never say something like that to a customer. Really never. Good manners and politeness are the Alpha and the Omega in this business.
'I don't know why she is making these accusations. She is so powerful and I am just a shop girl. 
'I didn't hurt anyone. I don't know why someone as great as her must cannibalize me on TV.  
'If it had all taken place as she claimed, why has she not complained the next day at the wedding of Tina Turner with Trudie Goetz, my boss? She was there also at the Turner wedding as a guest. I don't understand it.
'I spoke to Oprah Winfrey in English. My English is okay but not excellent, unfortunately.
'I didn't know who she was when she came into the store. That wouldn't have made any difference if I had.

Miss Winfrey said of the encounter: 'I could have had the big blow-up thing and thrown down the black card and all that stuff. But why do that?'

Shop owner Trudie Goetz holds up the handbag (right) that Winfrey wanted to see

Girls' weekend: Oprah Winfrey and best friend Gayle King ahead of Tina Turner and Erwin Bach's wedding celebrations in Zurich, Switzerland

Oprah explains how shop owner refused to show her handbag

'We work really hard to greet all the people who come into the store with the same level of respect and treat them all equally.
'If someone asks me whether he or she can see an article, I always present these. Because that person is a potential buyer. And my job is to sell it.
'I'm glad if I can sell an article. It is a reward for me, if I can sell a nice piece. This means that I'm good at my job.'
She has worked in the store for five years, says 50 per cent of the clientele come from abroad and that a bag costing nearly £25,000 is sold 'only a few times a year.'
Asked what she would say to Oprah now she added: 'I would apologize and say it was all a  misunderstanding. I surely did not intentionally want to insult Ms. Winfrey. I hope this nightmare ends soon.'

Winfrey was in Switzerland to attend the wedding of her friend Tina Turner and Erwin Back (pictured)

Katie Price preparing for early Caesarean birth of fourth child after spending TWO WEEKS in European hospital

Katie Price is preparing to give birth to her fourth child earlier than expected after suffering complications during her pregnancy.
The model, 35, has spent the past two weeks on bed rest after being rushed to hospital while on holiday on the continent.
The mother-of-three is only 32 weeks along, so doctors have warned her she is likely to give birth early via Caesarean section.

Stressful: Katie Price, pictured with husband Kieran Hayler in London on July 9, has been rushed to hospital on the continent

Speaking about her drama, Katie told The Sun: 'My baby was in danger, but between the medical staff here and my doctor in London, I am in good hands and have to believe all will be well.'
Katie had been told the amniotic sac - a bag of fluid inside the womb - had torn, meaning her waters had broken early and her unborn child was at risk of becoming infected by the transfer of the bacteria.
However, doctors believe the baby will be fine, although it is expected to arrive earlier than expected.
Katie added: 'I just want my baby out so I can meet it and hold it in my arms. I will feel much safer knowing it is in an incubator.

Difficult pregnancy: The model said her fourth pregnancy has been the most difficult

'Doctors have told me they want to keep the baby inside me for as long as possible, but they've told me they want to perform a Caesarean.'
The baby drama began after the star travelled for 27 hours in her horsebox following a mix-up over her children's passports.
Katie was forced to cancel her booking at a Spanish villa after her ex-husband Peter Andre and his girlfriend Emily MacDonagh - who are expecting their first child together - 'forgot' to send over passports for son Junior, eight, and daughter Princess, six, making them 'abandon' their plans.
Not wanting to let her children down, Katie explained she decided to wait for their passports and then travel around Europe in her horsebox - meaning they had been on the road for a staggering 27 hours by the time they reached their destination.

Mix-up: The baby drama began after Katie travelled for 27 hours in her horsebox following a mix-up over her children's passports with ex-husband Peter Andre and his pregnant girlfriend Emily MacDonagh

While her husband Kieran Hayler has remained by her side during Katie's stay, her brother Daniel flew to visit her on Thursday and to bring her children Princess and Junior back to the UK so they could go on holiday with their father Peter to Australia.
After spending the last fortnight holed up in the European hospital, Katie explained while the staff are 'great', she feels like she is 'in prison' and is hoping she won't have to stay at the facility for too much longer.

Tough time: Katie had a much better pregnancy with son Junior, from her former marriage to Peter Andre

The model has made no secret of the fact her current pregnancy has been her most difficult yet and she has gained more weight than when she carried her previous children.
She wrote in her Sun column recently: 'I haven't got long to go now. I've got a date and I know the sex but no one knows yet - and this time I'm huge.
'I'm the biggest I've been for all of my pregnancies. I'm 11st already, whereas I was not even ten-and-a-half full-term with the others.'
As well as weight gain, Katie has also been very uncomfortable, suffering from anaemia and low platelets.
Katie and Kieran wed in front of just a few people in the Bahamas on January 16 after getting engaged after Christmas - just two months after she ended her 20 month on/off romance with Argentine model Leandro Penna.
In February, Katie announced she was pregnant with her fourth child.
Her surprise pregnancy comes after failed IVF attempts to start a family with Leandro and second ex-husband Alex Reid.
She started dating Alex just a few months after splitting from first husband Peter Andre, but left him in January 2011 after 11 months of marriage.
She also had a 20 month on/off romance and subsequent engagement with Leandro, but they never made it down the aisle.
Katie's representative confirmed to the MailOnline that the model and baby 'are stable at the moment'

Construction on Tiger Woods' ex Elin Nordegren's luxury $20 million Palm Beach mansion enters the home stretch

It's certainly been a long time coming, but it appears that construction on Elin Nordegren's dream home is finally reaching the home stretch.

In aerial shots taken over the weekend of the impressive $20 million North Palm Beach, Florida mansion, the roof is now in place and the pool has gone in.

The Swedish former model is currently living in the house opposite with her two children - daughter Sam, five, and son Charlie, four - which she purchased for a cool $4.25 million, while she overseas construction on her new pad.

In the home stretch: Construction on Elin Nordegren's lavish $20 million North Palm Beach, Florida mansion is finally nearing completion

The former wife of Tiger Woods purchased the home in early 2011 for $12 million, after reaching a whopping $100 million settlement in the couple's divorce case.
The 33-year-old's divorce from her husband of almost six years was finalised on August 23, 2010.

Demolishing the existing 17,000-square-foot 1920s building the following January, which wasn't up to current hurricane safety codes, construction got underway soon after on creating a luxurious 21,000-square-foot mansion.

Divorce settlement: Tiger Wood's ex-wife bought the property in 2011 for $12 million, but was advised that it would be cheaper to demolish and start again to meet current hurricane safety codes

Site foreman: The 33-year-old mom-of-two bought the property opposite for a cool $4.25 million in order to keep a close eye on construction of her dream home

The expansive nine-room, eight-bathroom property reportedly features a movie theatre, wine room, Koi pond, spa and gym.

Photographs also show that the two-storey beachfront abode boats a sizable swimming pool and what looks to be a generous guest house.

The grounds are flanked by lush tropical palm trees, while a private staircase leads from what will surely be a beautifully landscaped garden directly onto the pristine white-sand beach.

Doting mom: The Swedish former model is currently dating mining entrepreneur Chris Cline, who owns a $4 million property in North Palm Beach he also plans to demolish and rebuild

Meanwhile, as the MailOnline reported just days ago, Tiger's own home on nearby Jupiter Island is facing considerable costly renovations after a hole was discovered under his dining room.

The issue was discovered after the 37-year-old noticed that the floor had begun to sag and called in builders to investigate.

The professional golfer moved into the $60 million sprawling estate, that features a four-hole golf course and overlooks the Atlantic Ocean, in 2011, following his split from Elin, having purchased the property together during their ill-fated union.

Happier times: Elin and Tiger were married for almost six years and had two children together before being torn apart by the pro-golfer's infidelities, which saw Elin walk away with a $100 million settlement

I want to eat ice-cream off Nicole Scherzinger's body: reveals Simon Cowell ... as he admits to a desire not even his money can buy

Nicole Scherzinger's stunning looks and figure turns heads wherever she goes, so it should come as no surprise that boss Simon Cowell - is one of her fans too.
The 'X Factor' star and music mogul let slip his intimate fantasy involving the 35-year-old beauty, boldly saying he would love to eat dessert off of her body.
Quizzed by the 'Boomerang' singer what he most desires that money can't buy, he said: 'I'm going to say what came into my mind here... I'm imagining [Nicole] as a huge dinner plate and I want to eat ice cream off her. Money couldn't buy it and I would do it.'

Sexy in stripes: Nicole Scherzinger showed off her washboard stomach in an unusual cut-out dress as she headed to Wembley Arena for another day at X Factor bootcamp

Simon made the saucy admission in an interview with video messaging platform Skype, for which he fielded questions from fans around the world, as well as celebrity pals including Nicole, Demi Lovato and Leona Lewis.
It's no surprise that even Simon has impure thoughts about Nicole, as the X Factor judge was seen showing off her amazingly toned shape and washboard stomach in a cut-out striped dress, as if to drive home the point.
It's doubtful that Nicole's on/off love Lewis Hamilton, who is currently waging an online campaign to win her back, would be impressed by the X Factor boss's admission. But deep down he could understand it.

Dressed to impress: Nicole teamed the dress with a pair of buckled white sandals, and wore her hair tied back in two plait

Jessica Wright is lavished with love by Ricky Rayment as she stuns in plunging black during date night

They've had a difficult few months after revelations of Ricky Rayment's infidelity were revealed.
But it seems the TOWIE star and his girlfriend Jessica Wright are well and truly back on form.
In fact they seemed more loved up than ever on Sunday evening when they headed out on a date night together.

Date night: TOWIE's Jessica Wright stuns in figure hugging black as she enjoys night out with boyfriend Ricky Rayment on Sunday evening

PDA: The pair looked worse for wear as they left while Ricky couldn't keep his hands off his girlfriend

Ricky seemed smitten with his brunette lover, and it's no surprise as she pulled out all the stops with plenty of flesh on show.
The 27-year-old stunned in a figure hugging frock which showed off both her tanned legs as well as her ample cleavage.
The plunging frock stood out even more thanks to the lace detailing, while she accessorised with black peep toe heels and a matching handbag.
Her dark locks tumbled down her shoulders in waves and she added a slick of dark red lipstick to vamp up the look.

Vamp: The reality TV star showed off her curves and legs in the tiny get-up

And it seemed to have worked wonders as Ricky couldn't keep his hands off her throughout the evening.
The pair headed to RS Lounge in South Woodford, where Made In Chelsea's Andy Jordan was also partying for the evening.
Jessica arrived with a girl pal but left on the arm of Rayment appearing slightly more worse for wear.

Night out: She certainly dolled up for the evening as she slicked on the red lipstick and tottered out in heels

Back on track: The pair left RS Lounge in South Woodford holding hands as they called it a night

The reality TV star held Ricky's hand as he proudly walked beside her.
He went casual for the outing, choosing to step out in jeans with a black polo T-shirt and smart black shoes.
But when they finally got inside a cab ready to take them back home and call it a night they put on a very public display of affection.

You've missed! The pair looked slightly worse for wear as they giggled with their eyes shut at the back of the taxi

Loved up: They recently decided to give their relationship a go after it was revealed Ricky had cheated on her at the beginning of their romance

Bed time: They both looked like they'd had a fun night as they finally decided to head home

Ricky seemed enamoured with Jessica as he kissed her on the lips while she giggled away.
The pair seemed slightly worse for wear as Ricky accidentally missed her lips during one smooch for the cameras.
The last episode of the latest series of TOWIE saw the couple having a frank and honest discussion about Ricky's cheating, with Jess deciding to give the relationship another go.

Happy couple: Jessica also showed off her reinvigorated love for Ricky by posting this cute picture on her Twitter page

Mingling: Jessica has put up a picture of herself enjoying another evening with her brother Mark Wright's girlfriend Michelle Keegan

And it seems that starting afresh has worked for the pair.
Jessica struggled with recent revelations that Ricky had been unfaithful to her towards the beginning of their relationship, taking time away from him to decided what she wanted to do.
And after Ricky fought to win her back, describing her as 'the love of my life', Jess made the difficult decision to give it another go.
The aspiring singer told him: 'You know from what sort of person I am that this has been the hardest thing in the whole world. I’ve needed time to contemplate it all. I don’t know if I can forget it. But I do want to try.'

Fancy seeing you here: Made In Chelsea's Andy Jordan was at the same venue on Sunday evening

Naked Justin Bieber bares his bottom and just covers his modesty with a guitar during bizarre prank on his graNaked Justin Bieber bares his bottom and just covers his modesty with a guitar during bizarre prank on his grandmother

He's often seen showing off his torso by going shirtless, especially of late.
But Justin Bieber shocked his family when he did the full monty during a bizarre nude prank at his grandmother's house in Toronto during Canadian Thanksgiving back in October 2012.
In photos obtained by TMZ, the 19-year-old is seen covering his private parts merely with an acoustic guitar, jamming out a naked serenade for his granny, Diane Dale.

A nude awakening: New pictures have emerged showing Justin Bieber naked and covering his modesty with a guitar during a bizarre nude Thanksgiving prank

Nude Justin was staying at his grandmother's home in Toronto when the strange incident went down.
According to the website, Justin had been enjoying a break at her home during the holiday and slept in a little too late on Thanksgiving morning.
Finally waking up after hearing family and friends stirring around the house, he thought he'd play a prank on the unsuspecting clan by grabbing his guitar and playing the naked set.
The pop star went right up to his grandmother and started belting out some impromptu lyrics, singing: 'I Loooove you grandmaaaa ... how are youuuu ... helloooo grandma.

The full monty: The singer bared his bottom whilst serenading his grandmother Diane Dale whilst in the nude

While his family and friends were laughing, his giggling granny begged the pop star to get back in his room to put some clothes on.
Justin's grandmother Diane recently defended her grandson in an interview with CTV Ottowa.
Speaking about all the attention Justin's actions attract, Diane said: 'It's totally crazy. I feel sorry for Justin all the time because paparazzi pick on him all the time.
'Anybody else's kids have done the same thing but nobody says anything.'

One of his biggest fans: Justin's grandmother is seen cuddling her shirtless grandson after one of his stage performances two weeks ago

Close: Justin poses with Diane in this Instagram picture from February this year

She added: 'He's just a 19 year old boy. And before you criticise him, say, what is my 19-year-old boy doing?'
Justin recently caused controvery again after allegedly getting into a nightclub brawl at a Southhampton, New York nightclub.
Wayne Rennalls who claims that Justin and his entourage attacked him on August 3 gave a press conference over the weekend, alleging that the pop singer kicked him during the brawl.
Footage from the night of the altercation did not show Justin involved in the fight, but Wayne, 22, claims that Justin did get physical.

With his clothes on: Justin is seen adjusting his belt during a stage performance earlier this month

He says the fight with Justin and his entourage started after the pop singer became jealous over girls that he wanted to party with.
'Justin Bieber [was] still running his mouth and I took my shirt off to fight,' he said.
'That’s when they all hopped out of the truck and bum-rushed me. They said, "That’s your f*****g a**,’ and the first one came to me, and I put my hands up to fight, to protect myself.'
The alleged brawl comes after a string of incidents where the singer demonstrated 'pop brat' behaviour'.
He has been pictured spitting on fans and urinating in a janitor's mop bucket in the kitchen of a New York night club.

Controversy: Wayne Rennalls alleges that he was assaulted by Justin during a recent brawl in Southhampton, New York

Mo will beat Bolt?

British distance superstar Farah - the Olympic 5000 and 10,000m champion - has challenged the undisputed king of sprints Bolt to a one-off race for charity.
Farah suggested a distance of between 600m and 800m, and Bolt has accepted the challenge, though he says 600m would be a fair distance.
Former 110m hurdles star Ridgeon says Farah will be far too fast for Bolt if they race over 600m but he says 550m would be too close to call.
"For me Mo Farah wins it every time. He's so fit. His range is from 1500m all the way up to the marathon. I think it is easier from him to drop down a little bit than for Usain Bolt to step up," he told Sky Sports News.
"Usain Bolt would definitely win at 500m, Mo Farah would win at 600m. So to create the ultimate race where they are both dipping over the line at the same time I think 550m would be the ultimate distance.
"At 550m, right now, I think Mo Farah would take it. Usain has run 45.3 seconds at 400m but after that he's in unchartered territory."
Professor Roderick King of Leeds Metropolitan University, an expert in Sport and Exercise Biochemistry, agrees with Ridgeon's analysis on distance: "The distance at which I think they would both be equal is about 550 metres.
"But both individuals would have to be strategic about how they ran.
"Usain would have to keep a little bit back in reserve, then perhaps do a sprint finish. Mo is going to go a little bit faster than he normally would do, but hope he can also do a limited sprint finish. If it's a 500m race Bolt is going to win it, if it's 600m then Mo is going to win it."
Campbell, a former Olympic champion himself, believes the race is a realistic prospect: "You can already tell how excited everybody is to potentially see Mo Farah against Usain Bolt. I think the fact that they are both represented by the same agent could mean that this could happen.
"How good this would be for the charities who would benefit from this race."
And Campbell says a 600m race would be a far more painful experience for Bolt than Farah.
"Usain Bolt is a 100m, 200m runner. There has been talk in the past about him moving up to 400m. But the pain sprinters feel when they move up to 400m is phenomenal. It's not a distance he would like to run but in aid of charity, 600m would probably be the limit.
"Usain would have been blessed with a tremendous amount of fast-twitch fibres. He wouldn't have a fantastic endurance pace.
"As a 100m, 200m sprinter a lot of the work he would do would be explosive work. The fact that he runs 200m means he will do over-distance work and 600m would probably be the limit of what he would do in training. He will run 600m but he won't run it very quickly.
"After 600m there would be a lack of oxygen that he wouldn't be used to. A lot of sprinters hold their breath so straight away, just the breathing patterns and the way he would attack and run the race, these are the things that would give Usain Bolt problems."
Campbell said tactics would be key, with both men having to think carefully about how to tackle the race.
"I think what Bolt would do is he would just try and stay with Mo. It would depend on the pace that Mo decided to go off at. If I was Mo Farah I would just try and attack it from the beginning. If Usain is able to go with the pace, then his kick will be tremendous," he said.
"But Mo has been working on his pace this year and we've seen that with him breaking the British 1500m record. It's not that he hasn't got any speed but we're talking about (racing) the great Usain Bolt.
"Mo can run 50 seconds for 400m. Usain could probably run 45 seconds for 400m. But when you take it up in distance it becomes very, very difficult for Bolt."