WARNING: This post contains explicit language.
Comedian Leslie Jones said that her makeup artist called her “in tears” after allegedly being mistreated at a Sephora store.
She took to Twitter to discuss the interaction, writing, “I sent my makeup artist @LolasBeautyMark and my best friends wife to @Sephora 2103 Broadway store. she needed makeup and to learn how to apply. my makeup artist just called in tears of how bad they treated her and my friends wife!! The salesperson and manager. SO NO MORE SEPHORA”
Jones also offered a suggestion for Sephora in an Instagram post.
“I am tired of the fu**ery yo!! If we spend money in your store we deserve customer service too. SO FU** YOUR STORE @sephora you got to close your store to teach your employees sensitivity” and hire people with sensitivity. “Cause they exist!!! I’m tired of this sh**!! What happen to customer service. Do we just not give a fu** anymore!! #NOMOSEPHORA”
Sephora responded on Twitter to Jones, writing, “@Lesdoggg we’re very sorry to hear this. We have reached out via Instagram and hope to connect with you and your friends directly.”
The store also responded to Jones’s allegations in a statement.
“As a company, we hold ourselves to a high, and public, set of standards around creating a welcoming space for each and every client. The information shared by Leslie Jones regarding Lola Okanlawon’s experience at Sephora is concerning, and the situation she describes does not reflect our values. We have reached out to Lola to gather more information. It is our priority to build an inclusive community and a place where all clients feel respected. Our journey has not been perfect and is by no means complete. We will continue to learn and work toward this goal.”
Jones’s tweet was posted one day after the makeup retailer announced in a Facebook post on Monday that more than 400 stores nationwide, including distribution centres and corporate offices, would close on Wednesday morning for staff members to complete inclusion training.
“These values have always been at the heart of Sephora, and we’re excited to welcome everyone when we reopen,” the post read.
In April, singer SZA said she was racially profiled at a Sephora store in Calabasas.
The Weekend singer said an employee, who she nicknamed “Sandy Sephora,” called security after suspecting she was shoplifting.
“Lmao Sandy Sephora location 614 Calabasas called security to make sure I wasn’t stealing,” she wrote on April 30. “We had a long talk. U have a blessed day Sandy.”
SZA added: “Can a b*tch cop her fenty in peace er whut,” mentioned Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty makeup line sold at Sephora.
Sephora responded to SZA, writing, “Hi, SZA. We’re sorry to hear about your experience at our Calabasas store and appreciate you bringing this to our attention. We want to let you know we take complaints like this very seriously and are actively working with our teams to address the situation immediately.”
SZA was quoted in an interview with U.S. digital publisher Refinery29 last year as saying she previously worked in the skincare department at a Sephora store.
The makeup retailer added: “You are a part of the Sephora family, and we are committed to ensuring every member of our community feels welcome and included at our stores.”
“We have been informed of an incident at our Calabasas store and in addition to reaching out to SZA directly, we are gathering more information about the incident in order to take the proper next steps,” Emily Shapiro, a spokeswoman for Sephora, told Reuters in an email. “We take complaints like this very seriously, profiling on the basis of race is not tolerated at Sephora.”
Shapiro said the Sephora closures were not “a response to any one event,” saying that planning for the “inclusivity workshops” had been in progress for several months and that a broader campaign called “We Belong to Something Beautiful” had been in the works for at least a year.
After SZA’s tweet following the incident, Google reviews for the Calabasas store spiked, with many users criticizing Sephora over the incident.
— With files from Reuters
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