The Chrissy Teigen Bullying Controversy, Explained

1 May 10, 2021: Courtney Stodden Says They Were Bullied By Chrissy Teigen

In an interview with The Daily Beast, Courtney discussed why she called Chrissy a hypocrite in a now-deleted post on Instagram. "She wouldn't just publicly tweet about wanting me to take 'a dirt nap' but would privately DM me and tell me to kill myself," they told the outlet. "Things like, 'I can't wait for you to die' . . . People came out of the woodwork to beat up on a kid because she was in a situation that she shouldn't have been in. There were a lot of celebrities acting like playground bullies. Some of the worst treatment I got was from women, and we're not going to get anywhere if we keep holding each other back."

"It was just so hypocritical of her," they said in the now-deleted video. "I think, for me, because I experienced so much harassment and bullying from her when I was just 16 years old, just 17 years old, just 18 years old, at a time when I needed help. Like, I was being abused. She has sent me so many different tweets. Private DMs, up 'til a couple years ago. It's so damageing when you have someone like Chrissy Teigen bullying children."

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2 May 12, 2021: Chrissy Teigen Apologises and Takes a Break From Social Media

Image Source: Getty / JEAN-BAPTISTE LACROIX

After Chrissy's old tweets about Courtney resurfaced, she posted a lengthy apology to them on Twitter. "I'm mortified and sad at who I used to be. I was an insecure, attention seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behaviour but that is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel," Chrissy said. "I have tried to connect with Courtney privately but since I publicly fuelled all this, I want to also publicly apologise. I'm so sorry, Courtney. I hope you can heal now knowing how deeply sorry I am."

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3 May 12, 2021: Courtney Stodden Accepts Chrissy Teigen's Apology

Shortly after Chrissy's public apology, Courtney revealed on Instagram that they had not heard from her or her camp. They also revealed that despite publicly trying to make amends, Chrissy still had Courtney blocked on Twitter. "I accept her apology and forgive her," they captioned the post. "All of me wants to believe this is a sincere apology, but it feels like a public attempt to save her [brand] partnerships."

Around the time of Courtney's revelations, Chrissy's cookware line was no longer available at Target. However, it wasn't dropped because of the controversy. "We made the mutual decision in December to no longer carry the cookware line, given our continued focus on brands we develop and that can only be found at Target," the brand confirmed in a statement to Page Six.

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4 June 4, 2021: Chrissy Teigen Exits Never Have I Ever Amid the Controversy

Image Source: Getty / David Livingston

Chrissy was originally slated to appear in a voice-over role for the upcoming second season of Netflix's Never Have I Ever. It's unclear which character's thoughts she would have been narrating, as the series features narration from guest actors for various characters. Variety reported that she had dropped out amid the bullying controversy.

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5 June 14, 2021: Chrissy Teigen Apologises Again

Image Source: Getty / Rodin Eckenroth

Chrissy broke her silence on the Courtney controversy in a lengthy statement on Medium, which she subsequently shared across her social media accounts.

"I know I've been quiet, and lord knows you don't want to hear about me, but I want you to know I've been sitting in a hole of deserved global punishment, the ultimate 'sit here and think about what you've done.' Not a day, not a single moment has passed where I haven't felt the crushing weight of regret for the things I've said in the past," she wrote. "I've apologised publicly to one person, but there are others — and more than just a few — who I need to say I'm sorry to . . . There is simply no excuse for my past horrible tweets. My targets didn't deserve them. No one does . . . The truth is, I'm no longer the person who wrote those horrible things. I grew up, got therapy, got married, had kids, got more therapy, experienced loss and pain, got more therapy and experienced more life. AND GOT MORE THERAPY."

She finished her statement by saying, "We are all more than our worst moments.
I won't ask for your forgiveness, only your patience and tolerance. I ask that you allow me, as I promise to allow you, to own past mistakes and be given the opportunity to seek self improvement and change."

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6 June 14, 2021: Designer Michael Costello Says He Was Bullied By Chrissy Teigen

Designer Michael Costello, who first came to fame on Project Runway, called out Chrissy for making his life hell over the past seven years. "She apparently formed her own opinion of me based on a Photoshopped comment floating around the internet which has now been proven to be false by Instagram and since taken down," he said in an Instagram post. "When I reached out to Chrissy to communicate that I was a victim of cyber slander . . . she told me that my career was over and that all my doors would be shut from then on.'He also shared screenshots of DMs from Chrissy, saying, "Racist people like you deserve to suffer and die. You might as well be dead. Your career is over, just watch."

Singer Leona Lewis then alleged that Michael had refused to dress her for a 2014 charity fashion show because of her size. "I don't condone any kind of bully behaviour and I'm sorry for what Michael Costello went through," she shared in an Instagram story. "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 . . . I had to sit in the audience and was asked by press why I didn't walk in the show. I remember having to come up with excuses as I was so humiliated by it all . . . I was left with deep insecurities after this and I've had to work hard over the years to love my body."

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7 June 15, 2021: Teen Mom's Farrah Abraham Says She Deserves an Apology From Chrissy Teigen

Image Source: Getty / JC Olivera

As a response to Chrissy's Medium apology, Farrah Abraham posted her own statement to the platform. "Many owe me apologies like Chrissy Teigen types, I hope the world will catch up one day," the reality star explained. "Chrissy's prey of vulnerable young famous women who are true survivors and warrior women today have shared if they had or not heard an apology about her actions from long ago whenever she realised it was wrong then or now."

In her statement, Farrah mentions that she feels she deserves an apology because, "I truly have no one else taking care of my family, I realistically need time for myself who must take time psychologically from my doctors orders to be the strong woman I need to be to keep this life going I've fought so hard for." She also wants Chrissy to apologise to her daughter, "who has to witness the aftermath of remarks publicly that not only affects her mom but her. This mentally affects children and their time with their mothers."

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