When Cindy Crawford Called Out Oprah Winfrey For 'Objectifying' Her Body : 'I Was Like Chattel'

Supermodel Cindy Crawford reminisced about her modeling days during her appearance on the September 2023 premiere of the documentary series The Super Models on Apple TV+. She specifically remembered her 1986 debut on Oprah Winfrey's daytime talk show. As per Today, Crawford said that she had gained a negative image of the interaction after reflecting on the incident. “I was like the chattel or a child, be seen and not heard,” she said.

Crawford, who was 20 years old then, had not yet established herself as a prominent figure in the fashion world. John Casablancas, the founder of Elite Modeling Agency, was seated next to her during the interview. During the program, Winfrey mostly asked Casablancas, her agent, questions concerning the House of Style alum. “So did you have to groom her?” Winfrey then pointed it out. “Did she always have this body?" and requested Crawford to “stand up just a moment” so the audience could take a good look at her slim figure. “This is what I call a body,” Winfrey said as the supermodel showed off her toned physique. “I’m happy for you,” Winfrey replied before returning to Casablancas. “So did you have to do anything with her? Did she have to go to that training period or no?” 

Crawford said seeing the interview from a contemporary angle made her feel more skeptical now. “When you look at it through today’s eyes, Oprah’s like, ‘Stand up and show me your body,” Crawford continued. “Show us why you’re worthy of being here.’ At the moment, I didn’t recognize it. And watching it back, I was like, ‘Oh, my gosh. That was so not OK, really.’ Especially from Oprah.” 

The Daily Mail reported that Winfrey and her crew reportedly changed the video to private in response to Crawford's remarks, even though the interview, headlined 'Oprah Meets a Shy 20-Year-Old Cindy Crawford,' was accessible on the Oprah Winfrey Network YouTube channel. Furthermore in the controversial interview when Winfrey quizzed Casablancas about whether the agency had trained Crawford, 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. 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." 

In the Apple TV+ docuseries, Crawford highlighted her struggling period as a model, "I was 20 years old, I had dropped out of college to model in Chicago and it was great. I was making $1000 a day," she recalled. "The main business there was a catalog. There was one main photographer, Victor Skrebneski, and he was the big fish in a little pond. Victor was definitely a mentor in the fashion industry, when Victor said don't move you didn't move." Cindy added: "I passed out there more than once. Especially right before lunch, you pass out and you would faint. And then they would prop you back up and you would do it all over again."