Leona Lewis Speaks Out About Being Body Shamed by Designer Michael Costello
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Former X Factor winner Leona Lewis is speaking out about alleged body shaming she experienced while working with designer Michael Costello in 2014. Costello recently accused Chrissy Teigen of bullying him on social media. Teigen’s team claim that the messages leaked by Costello in which Teigen bullied him were actually manufactured.
Teigen shared an apology letter Monday owning up to past comments she made about various celebrities on social media. After that apology was issued, Costello took the opportunity to speak out about messages Teigen allegedly sent telling him his career was over. Those messages now appear to be manufactured by Costello.
John Legend took to social media to finally speak out on the claim. He wrote: “Honestly I don’t know why anyone would fake DMs to insert themselves in this narrative, but that’s what happened.”
Leona Lewis Speaks Out About Body Shaming
Lewis wrote on Instagram that she was asked to take part in a charity fashion show in 2014, and Costello was supposed to dress her. She flew to New York to work with him, but said she felt “very awkward and uncomfortable” at the fitting. The dress was apparently sample size. Lewis claims that Costello “clearly did not want to alter it to fit me.”
“At the next fitting, the night before the show, with no explanation at all, Michael refused to turn up,” Lewis wrote. “He 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.”
SEE ALSO: THE REAL REASON LEONA LEWIS BROKE TIES WITH SIMON COWELL’S LABEL
Lewis said she was “embarrassed and deeply hurt” by this, and had to “come up with excuses” when asked why she wasn’t walking in the fashion show. She added that the experience left her with “deep insecurities,” adding, “I’ve had to work hard over the years to love my body.”
Costello responded on his own Instagram, saying he’s been in contact with Lewis’ team about dressing her in the years since the alleged incident. He has since made his account private.
Leona I am still a fan and I am not coming for you,” he wrote. “But let’s talk about what you were feeling about this dress I thought you were happy.”
Why Did Lewis Bring This Up Now?
“I’m sure this will come as a shock as I never told him how this made me feel,” Lewis wrote about her story. “Bullying comes in many different forms. We need love, we need accountability, we need forgiveness, none of us are perfect.”
Lewis chose to bring this up because after Costello accused Chrissy Teigen of bullying him on social media. He claimed that this negatively impacted his career. He said he “suffered tremendously” and contemplated suicide. The messages he shared now appear to be fake.
Lewis wrote in her response to Costello’s claims, “the pot calling the kettle black in this situation doesn’t sit right with me.” She also acknowledged her own faults, writing, “I’m also sorry if I’ve ever hurt anyone without knowing it as I’m sure was the case with Michael.”
