Meryl Streep has lashed out at Karl Lagerfeld for 'lying and defaming' her.

 

A row between the actress and the designer blew up after he accused her of being cheap and demanding money to wear one of his dresses to the Oscars.

 

He subsequently admitted this was not true, but the actress was not happy, slamming both him and a fashion site for printing his statements.

 

The site Women's Wear Daily had reported that Meryl - who is up for a record 20th nomination on Sunday - had ordered a dress from Chanel, designed by Lagerfield, but then said she didn't want it because she'd found another designer who was going to pay her to wear one of their pieces.

 

'I made a sketch, and we started to make the dress,' he told the site, claiming that someone from her team later called to say: '"Don’t continue the dress. We found somebody who will pay us".

 

'After we gift her a dress that’s 100,000 euros, we found later we had to pay,' he said. 'We give them dresses, we make the dresses, but we don’t pay.

 

'A genius actress, but cheapness also, no?' he added.

 

Lagerfeld subsequently admitted in a statement that he was wrong.

 

'Chanel engaged in conversations with Ms. Streep’s stylist, on her request, to design a dress for her to wear to the Academy Awards. 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,' he said.

 

'I regret this controversy and wish Ms. Streep well with her 20th Academy Award nomination.'

 

However the Florence Foster Jenkins star was far from satisfied with his response.

 

'In reference to Mr. Lagerfeld’s ‘statement,’ there is no ‘controversy’: Karl Lagerfeld, a prominent designer, defamed me, my stylist and the illustrious designer whose dress I chose to wear, in an important industry publication,' she said in her own statement.

 

'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.'

 

Meryl's stylist Micaela Erlanger had also shot down accusation, revealing the acting legend had been in talks with a number of fashion houses, and simply decided to go with another option - and that money was never an issue.

 

'As a stylist working with a nominee for any major event, it’s industry standard for designers to propose gown ideas and sketches - some custom, some not depending on the occasion. In the case of Chanel’s submission, which was presented with full knowledge that Ms. Streep and I - her stylist - were having conversations with various brands, we were shown sketches of a dress from their most recent couture collection. Although [it was] an exquisite gown from the existing collection, we decided to go in a different direction, with another designer.

 

She added: 'At no point were there any conversations regarding monetary compensation. Nor were any other brands considered based on their willingness to pay for placement. This is not how my company operates and is very much a practice in conflict with Ms. Streep‘s personal ethics. Any reports or quotes stating otherwise are a complete fabrication.”

 

Chanel also admitted in a statement: 'Chanel engaged in conversations with Ms. Streep‘s stylist to design a dress for her to wear to the Academy Awards, with the full understanding that she was considering options from other design houses.

 

'When informed by the stylist that Ms. Streep had chosen a dress by another designer there was no mention of the reason. Chanel wishes to express our continued and deep respect for Ms. Streep.'

 

Lagerfeld - who had claimed Streep had picked the grey silk dress from the Chanel collection but ordered it with a higher neckline - had also said she might as well keep it.

 

'She could keep the dress because of the size,' he said. 'It’s couture. It’s perfect for her.'

 

Celebrity stylist Jessica Paster previously revealed that stars can receive up to $250,000 to wear a dress on the red carpet.

 

However with a personal fortune of around $65million, Meryl is hardly hard up for the cash.