Meryl Streep is demanding an apology from couture legend Karl Lagerfeld, in a spat over the gown she’s planning to wear to the Oscars ceremony, entertainment media reported on Sunday.
On the eve of the Academy Awards show, the star actress lashed out at Lagerfeld, head designer and creative director of the illustrious Chanel fashion house, who had accused her of reneging on plans to wear one of its designs on Hollywood’s biggest night.
Fashion bible WWD reported last week that Lagerfeld had accused Streep of canceling an order for a couture gown after another fashion house offered to pay her to wear its dress.
Since then, both Chanel and Lagerfeld have backed off the claim, but Streep is demanding an apology.
WWD said it received a statement from the German-born designer’s representatives calling the entire incident an unfortunate misunderstanding.
“Chanel engaged in conversations with Ms Streep’s stylist, on her request, to design a dress for her to wear to the Academy Awards,” the statement from the German-born designer read.
“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,” the statement continued.
“I regret this controversy and wish Ms Streep well with her 20th Academy Award nomination.”
Streep, for her part, issued a scathing denunciation of original claim — focusing some of her wrath against fashion Bible WWD for reporting it in the first place.
“Karl Lagerfeld, a prominent designer, defamed me, my stylist and the illustrious designer whose dress I chose to wear, in an important industry publication,” Streep wrote in a statement published by WWD.
“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,” the multiple-Oscar-winner wrote.
“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.”
The acting legend made headlines at last month’s Golden Globes ceremony for a speech accusing President Donald Trump of using his powerful political perch “to bully others.”
Her remarks drew a scathing retort from Trump, who took to Twitter to berate her as one of Hollywood’s “most overrated actresses.”
Streep is in the Oscars hunt again this year, vying for a best actress award for her performance in “Florence Foster Jenkins.”
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