Naomi Campbell Says She Was Turned Away from French Hotel Because of Her Skin Color

Naomi Campbell is opening up about a time she was discriminated against because of her skin color.

The 49-year-old model revealed that she personally experienced racism when she was turned away from a hotel earlier this year while in France for the 2019 Cannes Film Festival.

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“I was recently in a city in the south of France, at the time of the Cannes Film Festival, where I was invited to participate in an event in a hotel whose name I will not mention,” Naomi shared with Paris Match magazine.

“The guy at the entrance pretended that the place was complete,” Naomi continued. “He did not want to let my friend and I in because of the color of my skin … But he let other people pass.”

Naomi shared that she was “shocked” by the encounter and decided to speak out to raise awareness about inequality and the “permanent” challenges that people of color face every day.

“I have always wanted people to be treated fairly. [I] do not believe that it goes without saying. The challenge is permanent,” Naomi Campbell shared. “It is [because of] these kinds of shocking moments that I will continue to express myself and make myself heard.”