Cindy Crawford slams Oprah for treating her like 'chattel' during old interview

20 September 2023 , 00:16

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Cindy Crawford called out Oprah in the new documentary (Image: Apple TV)

Cindy Crawford has hit out at Oprah Winfrey over their 1986 interview, in which the then 20-year-old supermodel was asked by the OWN creator to show off her body on national television.

Crawford, 57, talks about the interaction on the new The Super Models documentary on Apple TV+. Cindy appears alongside fellow modelling icons Naomi Campbell, Linda Evangelista and Christy Turlington in the programme to talk about how they all went on to dominate the fashion industry.

Before Cindy went on to become one of he most celebrated models of all time, she was given her first taste of fame during an interview with Oprah in 1986.

Oprah asked Cindy to show off her body (Oprah Winfrey Network)

Cindy appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show alongside her Elite Modelling Agency representative, John Casablancas. In the documentary snippet, Oprah is heard introducing the young, aspiring model before she goes on to ask: "Did she always have this body? Stand up just a moment, now this is what I call a BODY."

Crawford then flashed a nervous smile before she stood up for the studio audience and viewers at home, so they could take a closer look at her.

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Cindy said she felt like "chattel" (Oprah Winfrey Network)

Recalling the moment in the new documentary, Cindy said: "I was like the chattel or a child, be seen and not heard. When you look at it through today’s eyes, Oprah’s like, 'Stand up and show me your body. Show us why you’re worthy of being here'."

Cindy then continued: "In the moment I didn’t recognise it and watching it back I was like, "Oh my gosh, that was so not okay really." Especially from Oprah!"

Elsewhere in the clip, Oprah could be seen directing questions at Cindy's representative. After Oprah quizzed John on whether the modelling agency had put Cindy through a "training period", he responded: "With Cindy, it was much more psychologically she was not sure she really wanted to model… little by little, her ambition is growing.

Cindy spoke about how hard it was for her in the early days of her career (Oprah Winfrey Network)

"She’s getting a sense, and I’m saying it now on this program, if she wants to she can be number one in the business." John was right, and of course, Cindy went on to become one of the most recognisable models in the industry, but the mother-of-two speaks in the documentary about just how hard she had to work to be taken seriously during the early days of her career.

Chloe Stewart