Oprah Winfrey's 'Big Splurge' Confession Reignites Toni Braxton Gucci Flatware Controversy
Oprah Winfrey recently looked back on a modest but telling purchase she made early in her ascent to stardom, but the admission didn't come out as intended.
Talking with The Associated Press after attending Ralph Lauren's private runway show in New York on Sept. 10, the media mogul recounted the tale of her initial luxury purchase.
"When I first started making enough money to actually be able to pay my rent and have some money left over my first big splurge was Ralph Lauren towels," Winfrey remembered.
She revealed that she was so proud of her shopping bargain that she displayed the towels during her first interview with Barbara Walters in 1986.
"At the end of the day, I said, 'Do you want to see my Ralph Lauren towels?'" Winfrey exclaimed in laughter.
The towels were more than riches to Winfrey, however. They were a symbol of dignity for having something lovely after years of being poor.
"Lauren represented the standard, not just for dressing, but for home life and for what it meant to be surrounded by beauty and excellence," she said.
The retro flash recaptured the hearts of some fans on the internet. One fan reacted on TikTok,
"Mine was a pair of bright emerald green Ralph chinos. I feel you."
Others weren't so enchanted, however, referencing what they perceived as hypocrisy in the narrative of Winfrey.
"Unlike many, I liked Oprah's show—but I did not realize until this clip, that she's fluent in Word Salad," one reader wrote on Y! Entertainment's repost of the story.
The criticism escalated as people on social media dug up Oprah's 1998 interview with musician Toni Braxton, during which she criticized Braxton for purchasing Gucci flatware in a time of financial crisis.
Toni Braxton’s financial problems weren’t caused by Gucci flatware.
— Yvette Carnell 🇺🇸 (@BreakingBrown) February 11, 2024
But Oprah turned everyone’s attention away from record labels & whether artists are fairly compensated.
Toni couldn’t manage money. That became the storyline, & the framing was intentional. pic.twitter.com/q8pWu9YDxE
"No wonder she was beating up on Toni!" one Instagram user commented.
""Another dig at Toni ... we know subs when we hear them," another commented.
One person even pushed back on the comparison directly, writing,
"Do you know the difference between the price of RL towels and Gucci Flatware ... cut it out."
In spite of the criticism, Winfrey's relationship with Ralph Lauren has been steadfast, with a span of decades of cooperation and mutual respect.
© 2025 Enstarz.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
