Six acclaimed actresses are profiled in the November issue of Elle, but it's Melissa McCarthy who got the biggest buzz. The magazine was accused of hiding the actress' curves in a $2,225 wool cashmere coat by Marina Rinaldi, though McCarthy later told E! News she selected the look on her own.
McCarthy elaborated on the cover controversy during a Friday, Nov. 1, appearance on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. "I kind of wanted to look like the walk of shame," the 43-year-old explained.
Host Jay Leno understood McCarthy's objective, saying, "To guys, that's just got out of bed look, which is very sexy."
"That's what I was going for!" McCarthy said. "There was a big to-do about it, which kind of made me laugh. Like, how dare someone put me in a $3,000 coat? That's terrible!"
"I want to know why I don't own the coat," she continued. "I want the coat! I really want the coat!"
McCarthy broke her silence on "jacketgate" while speaking to E! News on Monday, Oct. 21. "What I found so bizarre is I picked the coat. I grabbed the coat. I covered up. I had a great black dress on but I thought, 'It comes out in November,'" she said. "I was so sick of summer. I live in Southern California. I was like, 'Give me a big coat to wear. Give the girl some cashmere!'"
Elle stood by its cover girl and her outfit. "On all of our shoots, our stylists work with the stars to choose pieces they feel good in, and this is no different: Melissa loved this look, and is gorgeous on our cover," a magazine spokesperson said in a statement. "We are thrilled to honor her as one of our Women in Hollywood this year."
(E! and NBC are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)