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Costume Designer's Wild Tales: Aretha Franklin & Janis Joplin's Secrets
11 Apr
Summary
- Designer Jean-Pierre Dorléac detailed Aretha Franklin's alleged messy mansion.
- Franklin reportedly called the designer 'cracker' and owed him money.
- Janis Joplin's chaotic lifestyle and unreliability were also highlighted.
Oscar-nominated costume designer Jean-Pierre Dorléac, known for his candid stories about celebrities, has shared new accounts of his experiences with legendary singers Aretha Franklin and Janis Joplin. Dorléac, 82, detailed an encounter in 1994 when he was commissioned to design a gown for Franklin. He described being shocked by her alleged living conditions at her Detroit mansion, which he characterized as extremely messy and filled with cigarette butts.
During this meeting, Dorléac reported that Franklin referred to him with a racial slur, calling him 'cracker.' He also recounted an incident where Franklin allegedly failed to pay the remaining $7,000 for a white gown she commissioned, which he later repurposed.