Total Beauty could not have picked a worse time to make a race-related faux pas. The popular beauty website mistook Oprah Winfrey for Whoopi Goldberg while tweeting about this year’s Academy Awards red carpet appearances.
In a tweet that has since been deleted, Total Beauty posted a photo of Goldberg posing on the Oscars red carpet with the caption: “We had no idea Oprah was tatted, and we love it. #Oscars”
That moment when you confuse @WhoopiGoldberg with @Oprah at the #Oscars: https://t.co/uM3pzKHVdf pic.twitter.com/zaFNG3k0OK
— CNN International (@cnni) February 29, 2016
Numerous reactions on the snafu flooded Twitter immediately after the post went live. It took nearly an hour before Total Beauty’s social media people took down the post and did some damage control.
“We’d like to apologize to Oprah and Whoopi, as well as everyone we’ve offended. It was our error, and there are no excuses. We’re sorry,” said the beauty site.
We’d like to apologize to Oprah and Whoopi, as well as everyone we’ve offended. It was our error, and there are no excuses. We’re sorry.
— Total Beauty (@TotalBeauty) February 29, 2016
The damage had clearly been done, apparently, as over thousands of Twitter users were able retweet the blunder and post their reactions.
While Whoopi Goldberg was glammed up during Sunday’s Academy Awards, Oprah Winfrey was actually watching the event on TV on the comfort of her couch, hanging out with her best friend, Gayle King.
King took to Instagram and posted a photo of Oprah Winfrey with King’s daughter feigning looks of confusion on their faces.
“@Oprah & favorite daughter watching #Oscars & seeing @totalbeautyeditors snafu! We all love @whoopigoldberg but we don’t all look alike Jeeeze!” said the caption.
People took the boo-boo as an opportunity to post their own “mix-up” jokes on Twitter with the hashtag #ThatsNotOprah. One user posted a photo of rapper Common with the caption: “Look, #totalbeauty! Will Smith appeared at the Oscars after all! #ThatsNotOprah.” Another joke “mistook” Mike Tyson for a tatted up Denzel Washington.
Look, #totalbeauty! Will Smith appeared at the Oscars after all! #ThatsNotOprah pic.twitter.com/Q6Sa7RkBev
— Gina Bee (@GinaSpot) February 29, 2016
We had no idea Denzel was tatted — https://t.co/Us9NqGnoLH #Oscars #ThatsNotOprah pic.twitter.com/SHQwPmiNvR
— Ippy (@IppyTV) February 29, 2016
Aside from the public apology, Total Beauty posted a pledge to donate $10,000 to Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg’s choices.
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