A NYC stylist believed to be the real-life inspiration behind The Devil Wears Prada’s iconic assistant Emily has finally broken her silence, and didn’t hold back.
Leslie Fremar, a former Vogue assistant in the 1990s, has confirmed what fans have suspected for years, bluntly admitting: “She’s me. I am Emily.”
Her comments come as The Devil Wears Prada 2 lands in theaters more than 20 years after the original hit the big screen, with the fashion world already buzzing ahead of Monday’s Met Gala.
To refresh your memory, Emily Charlton, played by Emily Blunt in the 2006 movie, is the sharp-tongued and overworked first assistant to Miranda Priestly, the formidable editor-in-chief of fictional magazine Runway.
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The character became a fan favorite thanks to her brutal honesty, relentless work ethic, and instantly quotable lines, helped of course by Emily Blunt bringing her to life.
The movie was based on Lauren Weisberger’s 2003 novel, inspired by her own time working at Vogue under Anna Wintour. While Meryl Streep’s Miranda is widely believed to be based on Wintour, Emily has long been linked to Fremar, something she has now confirmed in an interview with Vogue.
From rules to finding out about the book
Speaking on The Run-Through with Vogue podcast, Fremar revealed just how much of the story was rooted in real life, including the intense office culture.
“There were rules passed down to me: I couldn’t eat at my desk. You couldn’t even go to the bathroom, because one of the assistants always had to be there,” she said.
She also recalled the moment she first discovered the book existed, and it came straight from Wintour herself.
“I get a call from Anna [Wintour’s] office saying that she wanted to see me. I was petrified, but she said, ‘Who’s Lauren Weisberger?’ and I said, ‘She was your junior assistant,’ and she’s like, ‘Well, she wrote a book about us, and you’re worse than me.’”
Fremar, who is now a top New York stylist working with A-list clients like Charlize Theron, also confirmed that one of the film’s most famous lines was taken directly from something she said at the time.
“I definitely told her a million girls would kill for this job.”
Betrayal between the real Andy and Emily
Despite the movie's huge success, she admitted the experience left a lasting impact.
“I felt betrayed,” she said, adding she has not spoken to Weisberger in over two decades.
Her comments aren't too far from one of the new movie's plot points... but we won't spoil that here.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 packed full of cameos
Now, with the sequel finally here, the franchise has fully leaned into its fashion world roots, with a star-studded lineup of cameos and plenty of new iconic lines.
We just went to see the new movie, and noted every single cameo so you don't have to.
Fashion Designers & Icons
- Donatella Versace
- Marc Jacobs
- Brunello Cucinelli
- Domenico Dolce
- Stefano Gabbana
- Edward Enninful (Former Editor-in-Chief of British Vogue)
- Law Roach (Celebrity Stylist)
Models
- Heidi Klum (also appeared in the first film)
- Naomi Campbell
- Winnie Harlow
- Ashley Graham
- Karolina Kurkova
- Anok Yai
- Amelia Gray Hamlin
- Wisdom Kaye
- Calum Harper
Entertainment & Media
- Lady Gaga (appears in a major scene at Milan Fashion Week)
- Jon Batiste (musician)
- Amelia Dimoldenberg (host of Chicken Shop Date)
- Ronny Chieng (comedian)
- Hannah Berner (Summer House / comedian)
- Paige DeSorbo (Summer House / fashion influencer)
- Ciara (singer)
- Tina Brown (journalist/editor)
- Kara Swisher (tech journalist)
- Jenna Bush Hager (Today Show)
- Jia Tolentino (writer, The New Yorker)
- Molly Jong-Fast (writer)
- Vanessa Friedman (New York Times fashion critic)
Authors, Athletes & Artists
- Suleika Jaouad (author)
- Tomi Adeyemi (author)
- Rory McIlroy (pro golfer)
- Erica McIlroy
- Karl-Anthony Towns (NBA player)
- Brigitte Lacombe (photographer)
- Sarah Tanno (makeup artist)
- Frederic Aspiras (hair stylist)
- Marc Glimcher (art dealer)
- Richard Kirshenbaum (ad executive/author)
- Adam Pendleton (artist)
Additional
- Camilla Cucinelli
- Carolina Cucinelli
Of course the movie includes all our favorites too - Anne Hathaway returns as Andy Sachs, now taking on a senior job as features editor, while Emily Charlton has risen through the ranks at Dior and Miranda Priestly is well, Miranda Priestly.
Miranda, played once again by Meryl Streep, delivers the kind of cutting dialogue fans expect, including lines like: “You’re not a visionary, you’re a vendor.”
Two decades on, The Devil Wears Prada remains one of fashion’s most iconic films, but as Fremar’s comments show, the reality behind it was just as intense as anything seen on screen.
The Devil Wears Prada 2 is in cinemas now.
Topics: Film and TV, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, Fashion
Jo-Anne Rowney