'It's The Pot Calling The Kettle Black': Leona Lewis Slams Michael Costello For Hurtful Actions Following His Chrissy Teigen Bullying Claims
After accusing Chrissy Teigen of bullying behavior, Michael Costello has come under fire for his own alleged cruel actions towards Leona Lewis.
OK! reported that Costello claimed Teigen and her stylist, Monica Rose, tried to blacklist him in the fashion industry after a miscommunication, which Costello tried to clarify to Teigen.
The social media personality and Rose went "out of their way to threaten people and brands that if they were in any shape or form associated with me, they would not work with any of them," Costello claimed, noting that Teigen's bullying behavior left him suicidal.
Costello said he is still struggling to this day — and even considered taking his own life as recently as last week.
The same day Costello came forward with claims against Teigen on Tuesday, June 15, the "Bleeding Love" singer took to Instagram to confront Costello about a past 2014 altercation, which left her "embarrassed" and "deeply hurt." At the time, the Project Runway alum allegedly refused to dress Lewis for a charity event because of her size.
“When I got to my fitting I was made to feel very awkward and uncomfortable as the dress was a sample size and he/his team clearly did not want to alter it to fit me," she shared via her Instagram Story.
Lewis noted that she was completely surprised by his team's unwillingness to adjust the dress "because weeks prior I was told that they would make the dress work for me," she claimed. "At the next fitting, the night before the show, with no explanation at all, Michael refused to turn up."
According to Lewis, "[Michael] no longer wanted to dress me and he abandoned his commitments to me and the show which made me well aware that I wasn’t the body type required."
The 36-year-old alleged that because she didn't have the ideal body, Costello felt she wasn't worthy of his clothing. “Because I didn’t look like a model size, I was not permitted to walk in his dress," Lewis wrote.
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Since Lewis didn't have a dress, she didn't walk at the event. "I had to sit in the audience and was asked by press why I didn’t walk in the show," she recalled. "I remember having to come up with excuses as I was so humiliated by it all."
Despite her alleged discouraging encounter with Costello — which left her with "deep insecurities" — Lewis said she finally learned to love her body and is "so proud of how curves are celebrated today."
She also addressed the alleged bullying Costello endured from Teigen, noting she "is sorry" for what he went through. Lewis emphasized that she's “not discounting Michael’s experience” with Teigen — which Costello said has left him with “deep, unhealed trauma” — and wishes him "so much love and healing."
After making her stance on Costello's situation with Teigen clear, she wrote: “The pot calling the kettle black in this situation doesn’t sit right with me. Bullying comes in many different forms."
In light of Lewis' bullying accusations, Costello took to his own Instagram Story to address the claims. The designer denied the singer's story, sharing a February 2015 Instagram post of Lewis in a red gown that he made. "So sassy in my @michaelcostello dress," the caption read.
It is unclear if the gown in the photo is the one she was supposed to wear on the runway, but the 38-year-old added that he means “no diss no shade no hate.” He insisted that something must have gotten “lost in translation” during the charity fashion show prep. Costello then claimed he's received multiple emails from Lewis' team for looks following their alleged 2014 altercation.
He seemed to have been implying that if Lewis' claims were true, she would not want to work with him again — however, her 2015 post and emails from her team prove that is not the case.
Costello also posted a lengthy statement to his Instagram Story directed at Lewis, explaining he tried to privately reach out to her before taking their drama public. Since Costello allegedly received no response from Lewis, he said he had "no choice" but to use the platform to get her attention.
The fashion designer said her allegations completely caught him by surprise and left him "blindsided," adding that he doesn't take "accusations of body shaming lightly."
