John Legend is coming to the defense of wife Chrissy Teigen.
In an earlier report, one of Chrissy’s team members said that the screenshots Michael Costello recently shared—which accuse the model of cyberbullying in 2014—were inauthentic. In response, the “All of Me” singer is speaking out in support of his wife.
“Chrissy apologized for her public tweets, but after her apology, Mr. Costello fabricated a DM exchange between them,” he tweeted. “This exchange was made up, completely fake, never happened.”
“Honestly, I don’t know why anyone would fake DMs to insert themselves in this narrative but that’s what happened,” he continued. “I encourage everyone who breathlessly spread this lie to keep the same energy when they correct the record.”
Shortly after John spoke out, Chrissy released a new statement written on her behalf, which she captioned, “No idea what the f–k michael costello is doing.”
“Michael, you are now causing actual pain to people who are trying to better themselves. Enough. Or this WILL go further. Not here, but an actual court of law. And every dime we win will go to an anti bullying charity focused on turning this s–t show into a positive,” Chrissy continued, adding that she has “some places I’ve been attending if you’d like the connects.”
In the statement written on her behalf, it said, “Chrissy is completely surprised and disappointed by Michael Costello’s recent attack, which include fictional ‘screenshots’ from 2014 of supposed private messages that Chrissy did not send,” before adding Chrissy “has never conspired with anyone to harm his career.”
Chrissy’s team additionally said she and Michael had a “cordial” relationship in recent years, citing Michael’s past Instagram comments on her posts.
The statement then outlined different aspects of Michael’s screenshots, which allegedly prove the images were doctored, as “recent media investigations” concluded.
“Chrissy has acknowledged her past behavior and the pain she has caused, but she will not stand for anyone spreading false accusations to further demean her name and reputation,” her team continued. “Chrissy will continue to do the work she needs to do to be the best person she can be. She hopes Michael Costello can do the same.”
The statement concluded, “Chrissy has every right to correct the record and defend her name. She is not interested in making Mr. Costello the target of harassment or abuse from anyone claiming to support her. She hopes this can be a time of honest reflection and healing.”
The latest comments from Chrissy and John comes days after the musician told a photographer that Chrissy was doing “great” amongst the controversy she has been facing surrounding resurfaced posts, which accused the star of cyberbullying.
In an article published by Business Insider on June 17, Teigen’s team member said that the Instagram direct messages shared by the designer on June 14 are reportedly “fake” and alleged inconsistencies were listed to support the claim. Costello’s rep has since denied this in a statement to E! News.
In Costello’s original statement, the designer explained that, in 2014, he reportedly received a public comment from Teigen on Instagram, accusing him of “being a racist.”
“She apparently formed her own opinion of me based on a photoshopped comment floating around the internet,” he alleged. “When I reached out to Chrissy Teigen to communicate that I was the victim of a vindictive cyber slander, and that everything she thought I was is not who I am, she told me that my career was over and that all my doors will be shut from there on.”
According to Business Insider, examples of the alleged inconsistencies within the direct messages include a missing verified checkmark next to Teigen’s name, which would suggest the screenshots were taken in 2014, before Instagram’s verification program had launched. However, the same screengrab reportedly features purple and blue messages, which is a recent design added by the social media platform last year.
In a statement to E! News, Costello’s rep denied the allegations, stating, “The fact that Chrissy Teigen’s team is desperately trying to prove the DM’s are fake and attempts to discredit Michael Costello, a victim of trauma and bullying by Chrissy Teigen both online and offline, confirms that she remains the same bully, despite her public apology.”
And in yet another statement shared to his now-private Instagram, Michael said he will not be commenting on the drama any further.
