Celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar said she told “Prada” author Lauren Weisberger that “a million girls would kill for the job” — a line immortalized by the 2006 movie.

Devil Wears Prada’s real-life Emily reacts to ‘quite mean’ book that inspired movie: ‘A betrayal’

Celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar said she told "Prada" author Lauren Weisberger that "a million girls would kill for the job" — a line immortalized by the 2006 movie.

Joey Nolfi

Joey Nolfi is a senior writer at *. *Since 2016, his work at EW includes RuPaul’s Drag Race video interviews, Oscars predictions, and more.

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April 29, 2026 11:27 a.m. ET

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Emily Blunt in 'The Devil Wears Prada'. Credit:

Barry Wetcher/Fox

- Celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar shares her reaction to *The Devil Wears Prada*, the book and movies that were reportedly partially inspired by her time at *Vogue*.

- Fremar previously served as first assistant to Anna Wintour, and worked with *Prada* author Lauren Weisberger.

- "I remember feeling like it was a betrayal," Fremar said on a new podcast episode.

The celebrity stylist who claims she inspired *The Devil Wears Prada** *character Emily has spoken out about what she felt was author Lauren Weisberger's "mean" interpretation of her time working under Anna Wintour at *Vogue*.

"She's me. I am Emily," celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar told *Vogue*'s *Run-Through* podcast. Fremar previously worked as first assistant to Wintour, and as she said on the podcast, "definitely told [Weisberger that] a million girls would kill for the job" — a line immortalized by Emily Blunt's snooty character in the 2006 film adaptation of Weisberger's novel.

Celebrity stylist Leslie Fremar.

Jamie McCarthy/WireImage

"It was actually quite mean, the galley, and obviously an editor came in and really softened it," Fremar said in her interview, reflecting on reading the review copy of *The Devil Wears Prada* she said Wintour acquired before it was published.

"There wasn't this lightness to it. It felt quite dark," Fremar remembered. "I found that quite hurtful. I think what got put into the world is a lighter, nicer version of what she actually wrote."

She added, "I remember feeling like it was a betrayal, at the time. People weren't very public about their jobs," and said "it felt like this exposure" of something that was meant to be private.

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When asked what would happen if she ever reunited with Weisberger, Fremar replied, "I think it would be very awkward. I don't hold a grudge towards her, it became something that I don't think she knew that I knew, and I think it would just, there's nothing to be said."

When reached for comment, a representative for Weisberger tells ** via email, "I can't imagine Lauren would comment about this. She's focused on finishing her next novel and enjoying the rollout of *Prada II*."

Anne Hathaway in 'The Devil Wears Prada'.

Barry Wetcher/Fox

In a 2021 interview with EW, Weisberger discussed what she said were scenes from the film that felt most accurate to her time at *Vogue* — fictionalized as *Runway *magazine for the book and screen versions, where aspiring writer Andy Sachs serves as personal assistant to demanding editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly.

"The scenes where the driver calls and [Miranda is] coming into the office and the entire office breaks into an absolute panic. That is the regular day to day craziness that I think was important to maintain," Weisberger said at the time. "There were a lot of things that skewed very close to reality."

She also claimed that production designer Jess Gonchor "got it really, *really* close" when basing Miranda's onscreen office on Wintour's real-world one.

Though Fremar had negative feelings about the book, Wintour seemingly came around to it. In a new interview pegged to* The Devil Wears Prada 2*, returning director David Frankel tells EW that Wintour actually visited the set and filmed a cameo he ended up not using in the final film.

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"Unfortunately, she jumped her cue, so she's a little out of focus in the one shot that we did. I didn't want to call for take two; I didn't know if she had the patience for that!" Frankel remembers. "Twenty years ago, we were not welcomed in that [fashion] world, and over the two decades, all the actors have become friends with Anna, and it's great to be able to collaborate with *Vogue*."

*The Devil Wears Prada 2* is in theaters Friday.

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