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Oprah’s Mom Tricked Into $156,000 Debt

From a sympathetic Associated Press:

Oprah Winfrey’s Mother Countersues Store Over $156,000 Bill

Wednesday, October 01, 2008

MILWAUKEE — Oprah Winfrey’s mother says she shouldn’t have to pay a nearly $156,000 debt to a high-end fashion store because store officials shouldn’t have extended credit to her. Valentina Inc. alleges that Vernita Lee of Milwaukee racked up $155,547 in purchases and interest as of July 1. The company sued, saying Lee fell behind in minimum monthly payments of $2,000. Lee filed a counterclaim Friday contending that Valentina took advantage of her “lack of knowledge, ability, and-or capacity” when creating her credit account.

Court papers say Lee resolved a 2002 case with the company over a $175,000 bill. The resolution prohibited Valentina from extending further credit to her. A message left for Valentina co-owner Tony Chirchirillo was not returned Tuesday.

Why didn’t we bail her out?

And that prohibition against extending Ms. Lee further credit sure sounds like hate speech or something.

(Thanks to Kev for the heads up.)

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This article was posted by Steve Gilbert on Thursday, October 2nd, 2008 at 12:00 am. You can leave a response.

22 Responses to “Oprah’s Mom Tricked Into $156,000 Debt”

  1. JohnMG
    October 1, 2008 at 11:36 pm

    ……” Valentina took advantage of her “lack of knowledge, ability, and-or capacity”……

    Is this the same woman who hatched Oprah Winfrey, the wealthiest woman in the world? Don’t tell me the “smart” gene skipped two generations in a row!

  2. BillK
    October 2, 2008 at 5:57 am

    Hmmm, Oprah’s Mom shouldn’t owe the money because the store shouldn’t have extended her credit.

    She’s just summed up the entire subprime mortgage crisis, and ACORN’s ikely forthcoming demands for foregiveness of said mortgages.

  3. Helena
    October 2, 2008 at 9:37 am

    Kev – So Oprah’s Mom has an addictive personality with a shopping disorder and she’s a deadbeat as well. And she can’t afford $2000 a month payments? You’re so right, if she hadn’t said “lack of knowledge, ability, and-or capacity” about herself, it would be front page news about a racial slur on Oprah’s Mom.

  4. EvaTheFrisbeeDog
    October 2, 2008 at 10:40 am

    Oprah tricked an entire nation of women into believing that she actually cares and relates to them.

    She better “hope” Obama’s not elected, otherwise Sarah Palin will launch a women’s issues oriented talk show and put her out of business.

  5. Reality Bytes
    October 2, 2008 at 10:53 am

    Obviously, Ms Vernita Lee was tricked into those handbags, dresses, hats. That’s right! She was LURRRRRED (say it like Al Gore)
    IN THA STORE By White Interlopers!!!

    Say it Sistah!

    Are we gonna have to endure this for 8 whole years!?

  6. Colonel1961
    October 2, 2008 at 10:59 am

    Gee, uh, maybe Okra could pay the debt off for her mother…

  7. Diane
    October 2, 2008 at 11:14 am

    So, in 2002, she “resolved” a $175,000 bill somehow. I presume that means things were settled so that she didn’t owe anything. Then, in the space of six years, she ran up another $156,000 debt. Now, I’m as fond of clothes and shoes and all as the next woman, but I’m not sure I’ve spent $156,000 on them since I graduated college, let alone in the past six years. Heck, I bought a $200 pair of heels last week, and I still feel guilty about it. (I don’t plan to return them, you understand, I’m just going to feel guilty about it.) Didn’t she notice at some point that she was amassing clothes that she never wore? Or did she change outfits three times a day? You’d think at some point, Oprah would have noticed the clothing bulging out of her mother’s bedroom and asked about it. Maybe she was just too busy…

  8. Colonel1961
    October 2, 2008 at 11:30 am

    (I don’t plan to return them, you understand, I’m just going to feel guilty about it.)

    Diane: are you my wife? lol

  9. Reality Bytes
    October 2, 2008 at 11:45 am

    Whoa Colonel! That was low even for you! You expect a black woman to reach into her pocket when there’s people in government who are perfectly happy to REACH INTO YOUR POCKET!!!

    The gaul!

  10. therightguy
    October 2, 2008 at 12:18 pm

    Sure, like the alcoholic that is tricked into drinking at a bar, and the people that were tricked into buying homes as reported by Barack Hussein Obama. The locus of control should be internal here, not external. It is a continuation of the nobilization of victimhood and the abdication of personal responsibility. So now, after hiring, college admissions, and lending, we must institute affirmative action in the retail economy? That is pure socialism, as in “to each according to their needs, and from each according to their abilities”. What horse manure. They used to put people in debtors prison for things like this. May be it should return.
    Jim
    http://www.therightguyshow.com

  11. Reality Bytes
    October 2, 2008 at 12:29 pm

    Exactly Right Guy! Get drunk and hit a kid on the way home? Not your fault. Cheat on your wife and get caught? Not your fault. Get caught stealin’? Not your fault. Have a homosexual affair? Not your fault…UNLESS YOU’RE A REPUBLICAN.

    Debtors Prison?! Please! Yesterday I got all excited when SG posted Cynthia McKinney’s charge that prisoners in NO were killed execution style during Hurricane Katrina. Then I found out it was a hoax.

  12. Grassy Knoll
    October 2, 2008 at 12:39 pm

    You know, if I approached my credit card company and tried to explain to them that I can’t pay this month’s statement because they actually tricked me into spending the money I would get laughed off the phone and I would probably break into laughter myself. How can she do this with a straight face? And are her attorneys ethically challenged? No need to answer either of those questions, by the way.

  13. 1sttofight
    October 2, 2008 at 12:50 pm

    Good Lord, just look at the money I have wasted paying mortgage payments all these years when all I had to do was hire a lawyer and sue the mortgage company that tricked me into buying my house.
    Not mention the utility bills, car payments, grocery store bills, liquor, smokes, condoms, KY Jelly, hookers, pot, meth, cocain, porn, etc I was tricked into paying for.
    Any of yall know a good sleaze bag lawyer who will take my case, free of course, cause I aint gonna pay him/her either.

  14. Colonel1961
    October 2, 2008 at 1:28 pm

    Thanks, RB. I’m sending in my guilt-by-race reparations check immediately!

  15. Reality Bytes
    October 2, 2008 at 1:37 pm

    Don’t mention it, Colonel. You’re still way ahead in the favor department.

  16. curvyred
    October 2, 2008 at 2:39 pm

    Well If Obama thinks you can be “tricked into buying a house” doesn’t it sound quite reasonable to be tricked into $150,000+ debt for clothes, shoes and purses not once but twice!!

    Give the lady a break, **extreme sarcasm**

  17. EvaTheFrisbeeDog
    October 2, 2008 at 5:18 pm

    Again, reminds me of the story about the guy who keeps getting his wallet stolen by aggressive hookers.

  18. BillK
    October 2, 2008 at 5:50 pm

    As I mentioned above, this is in no way surprising.

    This is the way you’re already seeing things play out:

    “The banks should never have given me a mortgage.”

    “I was tricked!”

    “We need stronger rules to prevent these things from happening!”

    (Then later, when the rules are implemented…)

    “It’s racism! I’m being denied credit because I’m black!”

    “They’re redlining and denying credit to the poor!”

    “What happened to the American Dream?”

    After all, that last bit is exactly what started happening about 1996 or so…

  19. Liberals Make Great Speedbumps
    October 3, 2008 at 2:24 am

    It’s the tricknology of the enemy I tell you! Damn those white devils!

  20. Lurkin_no_mo
    October 3, 2008 at 5:03 am

    I had to read the column twice to make sure it wasn’t really about my wife. She spends money li…..OUCH!
    Note to self: don’t write about wife’s spending habits with her standing behind me.

  21. Lipstick on a PIAPS
    October 6, 2008 at 11:09 pm

    Why dont these people just say I was tricked because I was stupid? Then they will figure out real quick what the problem is and how to resolve it! LMAO

  22. 1sttofight
    October 6, 2008 at 11:21 pm

    Actually I side with Oprahs mama on this, the store was instructed not to extend any credit to her in the first case.
    Once burned twice learned.

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