Cindy Crawford calls out Oprah Winfrey for a 1986 interview: ‘So not OK’
Cindy Crawford is reflecting on a different era: a time when she was just stepping into the heels of her modeling career and made her debut on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”
In the first episode of the Apple TV+ docuseries “The Super Models,” which debuted on Sept. 20, Crawford reflects on her early rise as a model. In particular, she gives thought to her first appearance on Winfrey's daytime talk show in 1986. After looking back at the episode, which sees her interact with the daytime host — who was then in her early 30s — Crawford reveals her impression of the exchange is less than favorable.
“I was like the chattel or a child, be seen and not heard,” she said in the docuseries about the 1986 appearance.
What happened between Oprah Winfrey and Cindy Crawford
A clip from the 1986 episode shows a young Crawford appearing before Winfrey's studio audience. At the time, Crawford was 20 years old and hadn’t entirely made her mark on the fashion industry that she has in the years since. Modeling agent John Casablancas, who founded Elite Modeling Agency, sat beside her for the interview.
In the segment, Winfrey directed most of her questions about Crawford to Casablancas, who was her agent.
“So did you have to groom her?” Winfrey asks Casablancas in the clip. “Did she always have this body?”
The television host then prompts Crawford to “stand up just a moment” so the audience can look at her.
“This is what I call a body,” Winfrey says after Crawford rises and stands. The model soon after takes a seat and speaks up to say that contrary to what might have been said, she doesn’t weigh 100 pounds.
“I’m happy for you,” Winfrey replies with a touch of irony before returning to Casablancas. “So did you have to do anything with her? Did she have to go to that training period or no?”
While the interview has been pulled from Winfrey's YouTube channel, it is still live on her website.
What Cindy Crawford said about the interview
In “The Super Models,” Crawford admits that a modern perspective brought more critical feelings regarding the interview.
“When you look at it through today’s eyes, Oprah’s like, ‘Stand up and show me your body,” Crawford continues. “Show us why you’re worthy of being here.’ In the moment, I didn’t recognize it. And watching it back, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. That was so not OK, really.’ Especially from Oprah.”
TODAY.com reached out to Winfrey. She and her team have not commented on this matter.
Following her 1986 appearance, Crawford would go on The Oprah Winfrey Show 10 more times. She was also featured as a guest on “Master Class,” which OWN (Oprah Winfrey Network) aired in 2013.
“The Super Models” is currently available on Apple TV+
The four-part docuseries debuted on Sept. 20 and pulled back the curtain on the modeling industry in the '80s. It features Crawford and fellow supermodels Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington and Linda Evangelista reflecting on their early career stardom.
This article was originally published on TODAY.com
