Bethenny Frankel Claims She Was Denied Entry at Chicago Chanel Boutique, Says She Was Treated Like an ‘Interloper'
A Chanel customer care representative confirmed to PEOPLE that some boutiques require appointments while others do not
Bruce Glikas/WireImage
Bethenny FrankelBethenny Frankel is slamming Chanel after claiming she was denied entry at one of the company’s high-end boutiques.
On May 21, the Real Housewives of New York City alum, 53, took to TikTok to lament about her negative experience at the Chanel store in Chicago.
In the video, Frankel says that she wasn't let in to shop because a staff member told her she had failed to book an appointment at the location.
“I’m like, ‘No, I don’t have an appointment. I have a credit card. I have a bag of Garrett’s popcorn, a basic bitch purse. Am I not allowed to come in at 3:54 on a Tuesday?’ Evidently not,” Frankel says in the video.
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The Skinnygirl founder, who said she was made to feel like an “interloper,” further expressed her astonishment, adding: “I didn’t realize we weren’t allowed to walk into stores anymore. Gotta get a pap smear appointment and also to walk into Chanel. No big deal.”
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She also shared the video to Instagram, where she wrote more about her experience in the caption of the post. Frankel insinuated that she wasn’t let in because of the way she was dressed. “I was straight off a plane in a sweaty T-shirt and not dolled up or looking wealthy,” she wrote, labeling the interaction as “elitist and exclusionary.”
“I would never want anyone to feel lesser than, particularly from a luxury brand making billions off of people buying into the hype. Chanel is a beautiful brand with timeless classic pieces. Being kind to customers of all socioeconomic backgrounds is also timeless and classic.”
To further prove her point, Frankel posted another video of her visiting the Chanel store the next day dressed in a tweed skirt suit, sunglasses and heels. In the clip, she's let in without any objections from the three “lovely” security guards standing at the door.
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PEOPLE spoke with a customer care representative for Chanel, who confirmed that some Chanel boutique locations require appointments while others do not. They also said that, if a store is at capacity and advisors are already helping clients, others may have to wait.
The rep also spoke to Frankel’s statement connecting Chicago’s crime rates with how the Chanel worker handled Frankel’s entrance. The rep recalled that the location tightened security for approximately a week in 2023, during which customers were to leave their information with a hostess who would then coordinate them with an advisor inside the shop at a later time and date. Appointments are still being offered, but are not required.
Additional reps for Chanel did not respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment or respond to Frankel's videos.
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