Will the Real Emily From The Devil Wears Prada Please Stand Up?

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It’s amusing to think most people wouldn’t want to be seen as harsh as Emily Blunt’s character in The Devil Wears Prada. Stylist Leslie Fremar recently shared that she believes she was the inspiration for the character ‘Emily’ in Lauren Weisberger’s original book. On the Run-Through With Vogue podcast, she stated, “I know I am,” explaining that she worked above Weisberger as an assistant to Anna Wintour and was actually the one who hired her. Despite never publicly claiming this before, Fremar is certain she’s the inspiration because some of the character’s lines came directly from things she said, like, “I definitely told her a million girls would kill for the job.”

In 2003, when the book was first released, Fremar worked in the fashion department at Vogue. She recalled getting a surprising call from Anna Wintour’s office. “I immediately felt anxious,” Fremar said, “because Anna never asked assistants into her office.” She was shocked when Anna asked her, “Who is Lauren Weisberger?” Fremar explained that Weisberger had been a junior assistant for only about eight months. Anna then told her, “Well, she wrote a book about us, and you come off even worse than I do.” Fremar received an advance copy of the book, and she remembers it being even harsher than the final published version. “At the time, it felt like a real betrayal,” she said.

Fremar explained the difference between the book and reality. She acknowledged the character based on herself, Andy, becomes a huge success in the story, which didn’t happen in her own life. As for the portrayal of Emily, Fremar admitted the character’s unpleasant and anxious personality likely stemmed from her own feelings of being overworked and having to take on extra responsibilities.

Since the book came out, Weisberger and Fremar haven’t been close. Fremar said they never discussed it, and haven’t spoken since she left. She believes a future meeting would be uncomfortable. Now a successful stylist, Fremar has worked with stars like Charlize Theron and even styled Kamala Harris for a Vogue cover—a job surprisingly similar to the one held by the character Emily in The Devil Wears Prada 2, working with luxury brand Dior. Despite her success, Fremar still doesn’t share the story about the “hideous skirt convention” with anyone.

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2026-04-29 23:54