Celebrity fashion designer Kelly Nishimoto is accusing a series of A-listers of allegedly trying to obtain free clothes from her due to their Hollywood status.
“I’ve had a few celebrities that just don’t like to pay,” the former “Something Borrowed, Something New” co-host claimed on a recent episode of her “Hairbrush News” podcast.
“Paula Abdul,” Nishimoto, 49, said, naming the first famous face. “Her stylist pulled some pieces from my collection for her to wear for ‘American Idol,’ and she wore them.”
However, before the clothing was brought back, the Cute Booty Lounge founder said she received a call from the “Straight Up” singer’s team.
According to Nishimoto, Abdul’s stylist said the pop star would really like to keep three pieces. The podcaster responded “no problem” and told the stylist she would send an invoice for them.
“And then she was like, ‘Oh, she was hoping you would gift them to her.’ I’m like, she’s filming ‘American Idol’ for who knows how much she’s getting an episode,” she ranted.
“I’m over here struggling, can barely pay my rent and my employee — my one employee — and my one sewing lady, and you want me to give you a thousand dollars worth of the clothes for free?” Nishimoto reasoned.
Instead, the social media personality said she thought Abdul, 64, should pay for the items she wanted to keep as well as “another thousand dollars” for the dry cleaning bill for the other items Nishimoto lent her for free.
Nishimoto claimed the stylist sent back all the clothes once she realized her client couldn’t keep them free of charge.
“I thought that was so tacky,” she mused.
Nishimoto also accused Kate Hudson’s stylist of trying to get the “Song Sung Blue” actress a free pair of her leggings.
What made the call even more bizarre for the TLC alum was that Hudson, 47, had just launched her own activewear brand, Fabletics.
“I thought, ‘Oh, well she can buy them. What would she like? And I will send over the invoice,’” Nishimoto recalled. “And then I never heard back. I mean, c’mon. Really?”
Despite Nishimoto’s claims, fans were quick to defend the celebrities in the comments section of her Instagram post.
Designer Michael Costello wrote, “Paula is exceptional. I say that not just because she’s a friend, but because she’s always conducted herself with professionalism. In fact, Paula has always paid in full for anything she’s ever worn from our company.”
Meanwhile, celebrity makeup artist Ernesto Casillas chimed in, “This is on the stylist, not the client. They don’t wanna chip into their own budget.”
Nishimoto captioned the podcast clip, “Straight-up now, tell me: do you think celebrities should still be asking for freebies?”
She added, “Is it just me, or is it incredibly tacky to ask for free product when you’re making prime-time TV money?”
In February, after 22 years, the entrepreneur announced that she was shutting down her brand.
“It’s time for me to move on and enjoy my family more and to work on some new ideas,” she detailed to followers, calling it “the end of an era.”
Nishimoto added that she has “enjoyed all of the success, all of the failures, and all of the 22 years of lessons this business and 30 years of being a designer has brought me.”
“I’m looking forward to exploring other creative and meaningful paths,” she continued.
Nishimoto concluded her post, expressing that she sees life “through a different lens now.”
“I have new goals, new passions, and new beauties in life,” she penned, in part.
