LeBron James's wife and her business partner say they were denied entry at a Hermès store in Italy despite having an appointment, and that their complaint got the saleswoman fired and the store temporarily shut down.
Savannah James and friend April McDaniel recounted the incident this week on Danielle Robay's Question Everything podcast, describing a shopping trip that started with a snub and ended with champagne, macarons, and a private viewing of the luxury brand's full inventory, crocodile leather included.
Neither Hermès nor representatives for the James family have confirmed or denied the account. The Daily Mail reported it had reached out to both sides for comment and had not heard back at the time of publication. Every detail of the story, so far, rests on what the two women said on the podcast.
McDaniel, Savannah James's business partner, did most of the talking. She said the Hermès employees at the unnamed Italian location refused to honor their appointment and, in her words, "treated us like s***." No specific reason for the refusal was given, by the staff or by either woman on the podcast.
Savannah James confirmed the pair had scheduled the visit in advance.
"We had an appointment."
She started to describe how the staff tried to frame the situation, "And they tried to act like it was...", but the sentence trailed off, and McDaniel jumped in.
"I said, baby, you caught the wrong one today."
McDaniel told the podcast she went straight to management. She described warning the saleswoman directly: "We'll be back for you. I'll be right back." Then, she said, she took her complaint to higher-ups and demanded the store shut its doors for a private session.
And according to McDaniel, that is exactly what happened.
"They closed down that whole motherf*****g store."
Savannah James backed her up with two words: "They did."
McDaniel said the outcome was a complete reversal. The women were escorted to a private room, served champagne and macarons, and shown the store's full range, including its most exclusive crocodile leather goods. She said Hermès also fired the saleswoman who had initially turned them away.
McDaniel described the aftermath with obvious satisfaction.
"We [were] in the private room with champagne and macarons."
Savannah James added: "They brought out everything."
McDaniel said she took full advantage. She told the podcast audience she bought bathing suits, silverware, and more. "I said I'll take bathing suits, I'm buying silverware. I was living my best life," she said, adding of their shopping habits generally: "We be hustling."
The entire account comes from two people, Savannah James and April McDaniel, speaking on a podcast. No independent witnesses have been named. Hermès has not commented. The specific city in Italy where the store is located was never disclosed, and no date for the incident was given.
That matters. Luxury retail disputes make headlines, and the details here are dramatic: a store closure, a firing, a full VIP reversal. But none of it has been verified by the company or by anyone outside the two women's own telling. Readers should weigh the story accordingly.
The podcast appearance covered more than the Hermès dust-up. When host Robay asked Savannah James what advice she would give to wives and girlfriends of professional athletes, the 39-year-old entrepreneur, married to LeBron James since 2013, mother to Bronny, 21, Bryce, 19, and Zhuri, 11, gave a measured answer.
"Pay attention to yourself as much as you're paying attention to your partner. Don't lose yourself in the babies, if they come. Don't lose yourself in the facade of what all of this looks like. Try to stay grounded, try to stay authentic to who you are, and what this connection was from the very beginning."
LeBron James, 41, recently signed an $8 million, two-year contract with the Philadelphia 76ers after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. He posted a lengthy statement on X saying he had strongly considered retiring but believed he still had "more to give."
A good story gets better every time it is told. Whether this one holds up once Hermès weighs in, if it ever does, is a question the podcast didn't answer.
