Gossip & Rumors
Tommy to O: Racist E-Mail a "Big Fat Lie"

Tommy Hilfiger has never been kicked off Oprah's show ... because he's never even been on Oprah. But today, the preppy designer appeared for the first time with O to refute an ugly urban legend that's been circulating for over a decade.

An e-mail first popped up about ten years ago -- and has recently resurfaced -- which alleges that Hilfiger was booted off the set of "Oprah" when he supposedly admitted that he intended his designs for "upper-class white people," not for Blacks, Jews, Asians or Latinos. Turns out that Hilfiger never said anything of the sort -- anywhere -- and that he wasn't even a guest on the show.

Hilfiger was so floored by the rumors, he tells O, that he paid FBI investigators "a lot of money" to track down the source, though the closest they got was an unnamed college campus. And, in the end, he says, the rumor's ridiculous because, frankly, what he really wants is money "from anyone that will buy my clothes."

Tags: Oprah, Tommy Hilfiger, TommyHilfiger

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(Page 4 of 7) Previous 15 Comments | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | Most Recent | Next 15 Comments

46. This Tommy Hilfiger rumor is a spin-off of the original Liz Claibourne rumor form 15+ years ago when Liz Claibourne supposedly said the same exact thing to Oprah. Same rumor, different designer.

Posted at 12:43AM on May 3rd 2007 by rosie

47. Suzanne (poster #4) you seriously need your meds. Hatred is an illness and you definitely have it. Your babbling was so incoherrent it was almost laughable. I hope you don't have the ability to reproduce, because this world doesn't need more ignorant people like you.

Posted at 12:48AM on May 3rd 2007 by T

48. Black people complain too much...

Oh no!
I said something about black people so i must be white!

Posted at 12:54AM on May 3rd 2007 by jeez

49. #64 when you see him, what do you see? Don't pull that half crap stuff now. And, I did not say that there is no blacks in the ghetto. Of course it is, just like there are some whites in trailer parks. Do you live in a trailer Park? I don't live in the ghetto.

Posted at 12:59AM on May 3rd 2007 by Who\\\'s your next president

50. Hey Suzanne, did you finally see how ridiculous you sounded and turn in for the night?

Posted at 1:05AM on May 3rd 2007 by Courtney

51. what is really sad is that i remember people swearing to God that they witnessed him saying it on the show with their own two eyes. how pathetic

Posted at 1:35PM on May 3rd 2007 by nika

52. No, not all people that speak negatively of blacks are white, but who cares? Ignorance is the same no matter the race. It was said that blacks complain too much but it seems that the only complaining being done is about black people. So who's whining now??????????

Posted at 1:24AM on May 3rd 2007 by Courtney

53. I promise to make a line of clothing to fit black people.
Something that will be loose & comfortable so when blacks are running from the police, they will run with ease.
I will make the women's line run a bit bigger so when they get pregnant young they can continue wearing the clothing.
& I will make the men's line have more pockets so that they can hide more weed & cocaine.

Posted at 1:36AM on May 3rd 2007 by Barack Obama

54. lololololololol

#73 Barack Obama..that was hilarious.

I've never bought anything from Tommy either...after hearing that rumor & thinking it was true i had a distaste for him & his clothing company.

Posted at 1:39AM on May 3rd 2007 by l0l

55. There haven't been ghettos in America for decades.

Posted at 1:43AM on May 3rd 2007 by Only swim in the Ocean

56. Suzanne:

You cannot live with all that hatred. You must realize that you are probably depressed and in need of some type of relief. You may have had bad experiences but you must not let it destroy you.

I, too, suffer from depression and when I feel that overwhelmed, it is because my medication is no longer working.

Posted at 2:05AM on May 3rd 2007 by Pet

57. Suzanne,
You need to settle down! I skipped all your posts because they were waaay too
long. I have an idea of what you wrote due to everyone's comments. We are not
your shrink and don't care that much about your experiences and feelings.

This website is great and funny. You'll need to pay someone hourly to listen to your
rants.

Posted at 3:01AM on May 3rd 2007 by settle down Suzanne

58. Haven't you all noticed that there is a link to PerezHilton.com at the bottom right corner
of this page? It's listed under Hot Blogs.

Posted at 3:07AM on May 3rd 2007 by Perez link

59. Does it bother anybody that he claimed to have PAID FBI Agents to search for the rumor? They're Feds. You can't hire FBI agents to do anything for you. That's a crock, or more likely bad reporting?

Posted at 3:21AM on May 3rd 2007 by jb

60. I do have to say that I like Oprah's hairstyle in that picture.

Excuse me. People who don't wash their hands after being in the bathroom are nasty. It doesn't matter if they are green with purple dots all over them.

Suzanna... Shame on you. Shame, shame, shame. As I said before: You are a sad. So small minded, So willfully ignorant. Very stupid. You have shown traits of dehumanization, ethnic stereotyping, racism...you are in the same league as Hilter not Hilfiger.

Karma...it will come around. Good luck with the backlash. I wouldn't want to be standing within a 100 feet of you when it happens.

Posted at 4:03AM on May 3rd 2007 by YMMV

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