Melissa Rivers, the former executive producer of the popular television series ‘Fashion Police’, has revealed some intriguing insights about the often awkward interactions she had with celebrities following critiques aired on the show. Appearing on the McBride Rewind podcast, Rivers shared her experiences of being confronted by stars who were unhappy with their fashion evaluations.
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Rivers explained that the nature of the programme meant that it did not always endear itself to the celebrities it critiqued. She candidly recounted moments where actresses approached her to address the comments made about their outfits. “I’ve had a big actress confront me at a party,” the 58-year-old revealed. “And I’m just like, ‘I didn’t like your dress.’” Such encounters highlight the sometimes uncomfortable reality of public commentary on personal fashion choices.
One particularly memorable incident occurred shortly after an awards show. Rivers and her late mother, Joan Rivers, found themselves on a flight from Los Angeles to New York City, having just filmed an episode of ‘Fashion Police’. During the flight, they encountered a “lovely” actress whose outfit had been critiqued negatively. “We knew her. Hugs, chatting. She and my mum were reading the same book, and we’re sitting there going, ‘Oh s— tonight she’s going to find out what we said about her dress,’” Melissa recalled, capturing the tension of the moment.
Despite the potential fallout from their critiques, Rivers stressed that the show was always intended as a form of entertainment rather than a personal attack. “We’re not saying that you drown puppies. You made a bad choice,” she articulated. The humorous nature of her mother’s spiky commentary, which occasionally veered into the controversial, was always aimed at fashion choices rather than personal character. Melissa added that their remarks were intended to focus on the outfits themselves, rather than diminish the individuals wearing them.
Acknowledging the backlash that occasionally arose from their frank opinions, Rivers admitted that there is likely a “painful list” of celebrities who may have been offended by their opinions over the years. However, she suggested that many seemed to take the feedback to heart and adapt their styles accordingly. “I remember there was one person who came after me, and it’s like the next show or the next year she showed up with a new stylist, looking great, different hair colour and had clearly had a facelift,” she noted, suggesting that many stars do take notice of the feedback, even if they don’t always respond positively in the moment.
The discussions around fashion on ‘Fashion Police’ echoed a common phenomenon where individuals critique appearances in private settings. Rivers voiced her belief that many people engage in similar conversations with friends. “Don’t tell me that you don’t do the same thing talking to your friends,” she challenged, indicating that public debates about fashion often reflect more general societal attitudes towards appearance.
While Melissa Rivers acknowledged that social media can sometimes amplify negativity in a way they did not endorse, she reiterated that ‘Fashion Police’ was fundamentally intended to be humorous and light-hearted. “It was built for entertainment. It was built to be funny,” she stated, asserting that the show simply took the conversations that happen in private and brought them to a public audience.
In a culture where fashion is regularly dissected and debated, Rivers underscores that there is no shortage of public commentary on celebrity styles. “Everybody sits — to this day — and watches the shows and goes, ‘Oh my god, that’s amazing’ or ‘Oh my god, that’s horrible,’” she observed, succinctly capturing the essence of the show’s appeal. The key difference with ‘Fashion Police’ was that it made these discussions accessible and visible, allowing audiences to share in the opinions and laughter that accompany fashion critiques.
As Rivers looks back on her time with ‘Fashion Police’, her experiences reveal much about the interplay between celebrity culture, fashion critique, and public perception. Despite the growth of social media which has transformed how such discussions are conducted today, the premise of openly discussing fashion choices remains relevant and relatable to audiences everywhere.