A few days ago, SZA accused a Sephora employee stationed in Calabasas of racial profiling, the irony being she was once the face of a Fenty Beauty campaign, one of the flagship products pushed by the multinational chain. According to the recapitulation provided by the singer on Twitter, SZA was seemingly shadowed by an employee with a "Sandy" nametag. With that said, it's reasonable to suspect that SZA was being surveilled by the attendant over fears that she might pocket an item without paying for it at the register.
Although Sephora Inc. hasn't taken a definitive stance on the matter, company officials are said to be taking SZA's accusations very seriously. The company's PR dept. issued the following statement to the Huffington Post with regards to the internal investigation they've over "Sandygate '19."
"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," the statement reads.
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The PR professional handling the write-up then reiterated the company's customer care policy in so many words. “We take complaints like this very seriously, profiling on the basis of race is not tolerated at Sephora. Our purpose has always been rooted in our people and ensuring that Sephora is an inclusive and welcoming space for all our clients," the e-mail expressed in closing.
Worth noting, Calabasas is fast becoming the intersection where the old guard meets the nouveau riche in a clash of cultural identities. Something tells me SZA is keeping it 100% real with her complaints. She never asked for anybody's head; she simply offered feelings on the world wide web, and the right executives took notice. In an age where social media influencers run the gamut, Sephora would be wise to nip this debacle in the bud before it spreads like an influenza virus.