It Appears Michael Costello's Chrissy Teigen Bullying Receipts May Have Been Faked

Reports found some questionable inconsistencies in Costello's screenshots.

By Marie Solis  |  June 18, 2021 | 4:12pm
CelebritiesDirt Bag
It Appears Michael Costello's Chrissy Teigen Bullying Receipts May Have Been Faked
Photo:Vivien Killilea (Getty Images)

It is becoming increasingly difficult to follow the twists and turns of the latest bullying allegations against Chrissy Teigen, but nonetheless we’re going to try.

[Deep breath.] Fashion designer Michael Costello procured screenshots earlier this week allegedly showing Teigen bullying him in 2014, for reasons related to a micro-scandal he endured involving allegations of racism which he says were later verifiably debunked. Within 24 hours singer Leona Lewis inserted herself into the drama by accusing Costello of treating her badly, turning the whole situation into what fellow Jez blogger Megan Reynolds wisely termed “Bullying Hot Potato.” Now a spokesperson for Teigen is saying Costello’s alleged DMs are fake, and a report from Insider appears to corroborate this accusation.

Still with me?

According to the outlet, some of the design features in Costello’s supposed screenshots “appear to come from various iterations of Instagram and Teigen’s profile throughout the years, which is oftentimes a signature of manipulated imagery.”

These inconsistencies include design changes that weren’t implemented until February 2020—six years after Costello says the exchange took place—as well as the absence of a verified checkmark for Teigen’s profile, which Teigen had when those design changes were introduced. Another tip-off, Insider reports, is that Costello’s image includes a video chat icon, a feature Instagram didn’t roll out until 2018.

I’m certainly not going to be the one to have the final word as to whether Costello’s screenshots are real or fake, but I find Insider’s observations to be compelling. Teigen may not have bullied Costello, but we know she bullied other people. If it’s true that Costello photoshopped the screenshots, this is a story with truly no heroes.

Cleansing the feed with this video of Serena Williams giving her daughter tennis lessons: