Vernita Lee (Photo)
RELATED, January 24, 2011: Oprah's secret: A half-sister she never knew - in Milwaukee
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UPDATE, November 24, 2009: "Oprah's mother, fashion store settle bill dispute"
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UPDATE, Septmeber 30, 2008: "Oprah's mom countersues over wardrobe bill"
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Valentina Inc. in Brookfield is suing Oprah Winfrey's mother, Vernita Lee.
From the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel:
A high-end Brookfield fashion store is suing over a past due bill of more than $150,000 bill run up by a customer whose perks, it says, included private showings and delivery service. The customer: Oprah Winfrey's mother.
Vernita Lee, of Milwaukee, has had an open-ended charge account with Valentina Inc. since January 2004, the civil complaint says. She has hired three attorneys to prove she doesn't owe the bill, according to the lawsuit filed in Waukesha County Circuit Court.
The lawsuit, which was first reported by columnist Pete Kennedy in the Waukesha Freeman, says Lee racked up a bill of $155,547.31 in purchases and interest as of July 1. Lee was required to make a minimum monthly payment of $2,000 to the store, court records show.
Valentina attorney Joseph Niebler, Sr., said today that at some point Lee stopped making the monthly payments. The store is asking for full payment plus interest, the complaint says.
Niebler said the store tried to resolve the bill before filing the lawsuit and continues to pursue a resolution out of court.
"There isn't any ill will, it's a matter of contract," Niebler said.
Lee hired THREE attorneys to handle the matter?
Why?
Her lawyers' fees could top the amount she allegedly failed to pay Valentina Inc.
25 comments:
She's Oprah's Mother, for Pete's sake. Don't they know who she is?
How dare the store expect to be paid!
I think it's funny that Valentina attorney Joseph Niebler goes out of his way to say there's no ill will, they didn't want to file suit, and they still want to settle this out of court.
It appears that the store doesn't want to lose Oprah's mother as a customer. They just expect her to pay when she buys things.
I use to work at this story and they are horrible!! A similar thing happened with Vernita and Valentina about five years ago. Oprah took care of it all and specifically told Valentina not to sell her mother another item, and not to come to her house. Well they kept on doing it, and they would totally mark up the prices on items they sold to her – as in double what they would normally charge. Valentina uses people - customers, employees and the owner's daughter Gina wears half of the clothes and then sells them as new! Even if the lawyers cost $500,000 I hope that Valentina gets nothing else from Oprah or any other client.
They sure do use people! I hope their dirty practices is aired out to the world. I will never step foot in that store again. They are clothing predators!
I have no personal experience with the store.
What you say could be true, but I wouldn't know.
Some advice: I wouldn't make any false statements under the protection of the Internet's supposed "anonymity."
MY OH MY! BITTER BETTY!
what trash talk! miss 'former employee' you're not bitter about losing your job with valentina's are you? geez. slow down. no store in a city like mke could STAY in business for 40 yrs if they practiced business in the style you suggest. use some common sense! your actually insulting all their clientele. as if they are all stupid and have no idea what things cost or what the very same designers merchandise goes for at stores thoughout the nation.
Good for Valentina. I worked for a banking agency a decade ago and was unable to collect on a similar debt. Go get her! I think it is time that the low man on the totem pole stood up for themselves!
Oprah's all about giving to everyone...well everyone but her momma! Oprah's not as great as everyone thinks. Take it from someone from Chicago.
Im a former employee as well and I co-sign EVERTHING that the other Former employee said. Check the court records Ms. Lee was sued by Valentina prior to this and they(Tony, Cheryl and Gina) were asked by Oprah to not sell to her mother anymore. And if you shop or have shopped at Valentina I would like you to know that you are or have worn cloths that were worn by Cheryl,Gina or any of us former employee's and current employee's and you were charged wholesale*2.5%+ wholesale again so you do the math:) And they talk trash about EVERY single client and Tony cheats employee's out of their commisson. I hope Oprah rips them a new A**hole!!!!
If what you're saying about Valentina is true, that's not good.
Like I said I worked for them for a couple of years and knew Ms. Lee. There buisness practices are unethical and they have no regard for anyone. Ms. Lee is not the only client that they've screwed over. The Chirchirillo's are so arrogant to think that they can continue to treat people this way. And I think that their arrogance is about to get them in deep s**t. They've burned sooooo many bridges and left a bitter taste in toooo many mouths. Hope they're finally exposed for there antics. And it's really easy to stay in biz for so long when you refinance your house and open lines of credit under your husband,wife,daughter and maybe even the little ones name.
How many hungry children could that clothing money have fed? It's time that people come down to earth and determine what's really important in life. You are not your possessions.
Who is Oprah to tell anyone who they can sell clothes too? Oprah's mother is a THEIF that is the bottom line. She took the clothes, wore them and does not want to pay for them. Wake up people it's called STEALING. Just another one who thinks they deserve or entitled to something for nothing in our country. Vernite Lee is one of the people who put this country where it is today. Everything for nothing, blame everyone else. I for one am so tired of hearing, "It's not my fault" Bull it is your fault pay your bill lady. To the employees who are bad mouthing this shop owner if you are so smart, educated and professional why don't you own a shop? I would guess you are too lazy and sit around blaming everyone else for your lack of success.
By the way since you are sitting on your tail ends complaining about everyone else try using spell check since you do not know how to spell.
Who is Oprah to tell anyone who they can sell clothes too? Oprah's mother is a THEIF that is the bottom line. She took the clothes, wore them and does not want to pay for them. Wake up people it's called STEALING. Just another one who thinks they deserve or entitled to something for nothing in our country. Vernite Lee is one of the people who put this country where it is today. Everything for nothing, blame everyone else. I for one am so tired of hearing, "It's not my fault" Bull it is your fault pay your bill lady. To the employees who are bad mouthing this shop owner if you are so smart, educated and professional why don't you own a shop? I would guess you are too lazy and sit around blaming everyone else for your lack of success.
By the way since you are sitting on your tail ends complaining about everyone else try using spell check since you do not know how to spell.
What? Did Valentina cuff her and drag her into their store and force her take items home?
Now she's pulling I'm a dumb #$% and they should not have sold me a thing. What a joke!
Why hasn't Oprah stepped in to pay up for dead beat mom's lack of responsibility? O, I forgot no one is responsible for their actions anymore. What a JOKE! She has poor Judgment/Character and can even admit the truth....just like Bill Clinton.
Dear sick of people, just because someone doesn't own a shop does not mean they are lazy or stupid. not using spellcheck doesn't make one an idiot either. Quit judging people here. Oprah's momma is a grown woman. She knows what she is doing and Iam sure she understands basic business. When you buy something, you then have to pay for it!! you mean to tell me that it took 156,000 dollars for her to decide that she wasn't responsible? Also, Valentina was stupid in it's own business practices by allowing her to buy that much overpriced sweatshop clothes without paying. She needs a ceiling on her spending with them and needs to pay up..she's got the money,and Iam sure she can have anything she wants at O's expense(i would probably do the same for my mother)Valentina is partially at fault for letting this matter go the distance. they are just too scared of pissing the BIG O off and losing other wealthy customers, so they'd rather be ass kissers to the rich..."Oh, we're not mad at oprah's momma, we are just kindly asking that she pay this teensie weensie little widdow bill...and to all of you rich people: Iam sure its great to be able to drop 500 dollars on a tshirt and 700 dollars on some denim jeans but, c'mon,put me in a tshirt for 5 bucks and 25 dollar jeans and its the same thing. Same materials, same look. Why not open your eyes and see whats going on around you? War, famine,disease,poverty,illiteracy..the world is falling apart, but you all would rather shop all day and drink lattes and dine out while driving your gas guzzling suv's on your way to your botox appt...not having a care in the world.Completely oblivious to the fact that this country is being destroyed by corporations and crooked politicians..Please wake up, roll up the sleeves and use the money and power and influence that you have to save this planet!!! YOUR MONEY CAN NOT SAVE YOU. IN THE END, MONEY WONT MEAN SH*T!!!
Hey, Sick of People, try using your own spell checker. Thief is spelled THIEF not THEIF!!!
According to public record, this is not the first time she has pulled this with Valentia, in 2002, she racked up a $175,000.00 (didn't make the papers, settled out of court for nothing) But according the terms of the previous lawsuit the company was not to extend her credit from that date, nor was she to try and get a line of credit again from the company. Both parties are at fault but she owes them this money for sure.
Let's see. . . She bought. . . She charged. . . She was billed. . . She refuses to pay!
If the deadbeat does not think she has to pay, she should return all the clothes.
By the way... Does Valentina sell clothing for "queen sized" women?
Live links to current case of Oprah's mother for non-payment of monies
and past cases that include eviction, judgments, liens
Examine the contributions and expenses of the $181,738,368 Oprah "Charitable Trust"
webofdeception.com
OMG! I will never go back to this place and I recommend all black Women and Men to stay clear of this place, these people are racist. The new boutique in the third ward is beautiful, how ever I wouldnt shop in there if the s>*t was free I hate to walk into a beautiful store and get treated differently because the color of my skin except it people Blacks spend money too, and if you people dont want us shopping in your places put up a sign that says no blacks please.
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