'He lied': Meryl Streep slams Karl Lagerfeld over Oscars dress controversy
Not even an actress as esteemed as Meryl Streep is immune from Hollywood's red carpet politics.
In a pre-Academy Awards spat that nobody saw coming, Streep and Chanel designer Karl Lagerfeld are trading barbs over Streep's choice of Oscars gown. Earlier in the week, Lagerfeld dissed Streep in WWD for allegedly commissioning a $100,000 custom design from Chanel, then backing down in favor of another designer who'd pay the actress to wear their gown instead.
"Don’t continue the dress. We found somebody who will pay us," Lagerfeld said, quoting his phone call with Streep's team. "A genius actress, but cheapness also, no?”
Lagerfeld's call-out kicked off a PR circus, with Streep's team denying his claims, prompting Chanel to "express our continued and deep respect for Ms. Streep" in a dueling statement.
But Streep escalated their feud to a new level on Saturday, issuing a scathing response to People claiming that Lagerfeld's version of events was a lie.
"In reference to Mr. Lagerfeld’s ‘statement,’ there is no ‘controversy,'" she said. "Karl Lagerfeld, a prominent designer, defamed me, my stylist, and the illustrious designer whose dress I chose to wear, in an important industry publication. That publication printed this defamation, unchecked. Subsequently, the story was picked up globally, and continues, globally, to overwhelm my appearance at the Oscars, on the occasion of my record breaking 20th nomination, and to eclipse this honor in the eyes of the media, my colleagues and the audience."
“I do not take this lightly, and Mr. Lagerfeld’s generic ‘statement’ of regret for this ‘controversy’ was not an apology. He lied, they printed the lie, and I am still waiting,” she continued.
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Streep's firmly worded statement was enough to convince Lagerfeld to back down, telling New York Magazine that he misunderstood her reasons behind choosing a different dress.
"Chanel engaged in conversations with Ms Streep’s stylist, on her request, to design a dress for her to wear to the Academy Awards," he said. "After an informal conversation, I misunderstood that Ms Streep may have chosen another designer due to remuneration, which Ms Streep’s team has confirmed is not the case. I regret this controversy and wish Ms Streep well with her 20th Academy Award nomination."
So which dress did Streep wear instead? Instead of Chanel, the actress arrived at the Oscars in a blue Elie Saab gown with matching trousers.
