Soon after designer Michael Costello recounted his painful experience being bullied by Chrissy Teigen, singer Leona Lewis has come forward to say she had a negative experience of her own with Costello.
Lewis, who is know for winning UK reality show ‘The X Factor’ in 2006, claims the US fashion designer left her “embarrassed and deeply hurt” after she flew to New York to be dressed by him at an event.
“I was asked to take part in a fashion show to raise money for charity. Michael Costello was assigned as my designer. As an excited young woman, I flew all the way to New York and was so honored to work with him because I adored his dresses,” she wrote on her Instagram Stories.
The ‘Bleeding Love’ singer says she was made to feel “very awkward and uncomfortable” during the fitting as the outfit was a sample size and needed to be altered to fit her.
“This came as a total surprise because weeks prior I was told that they would make the dress work for me. At the next fitting, the night before the show, with no explanation at all, Michael refused to turn up. 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,” Leona claimed.
Earlier, Costello said he lost jobs due to Teigen’s campaign against him and even contemplated suicide over it.
Lewis sympathised with Costello but said it was the “pot calling the kettle black”.
“I’m not discounting [Costello’s] experience as that is an awful thing to go through and I wish him so much love and healing,” she wrote. “I’m sure this will come as a shock as I never told him how this made me feel. But the pot calling the kettle black in this situation doesn’t sit right with me. Bullying comes in many different forms. We need love, we need accountability, we need forgiveness, none of us are perfect.”
Costello, however, hit back at the singer saying he was disappointed she didn’t talk to him first before taking to her Instagram.
“You have never indicated how you felt and you’ve continuously worn me, tagged me, and had your team reach out to request me for more dresses... as recent as last month,” he wrote.
“I have lost tons of opportunities, sleeples [sic] nights, and I’m not in a good mental state of mind,” he added. “I wish you spoke to me directly instead of on Instagram. Especially when I am at my most vulnerable moment.”
