Karlie Kloss Opens up About Being Part of the Kushner Family After Project Runway Designer's Comment

The judges' critiques in the January 2 episode of Bravo's Project Runway made jaws drop all over the place, from the designers to fans watching at home.

After contestant Tyler Neasloney sent a dress with a black skirt and a white halter top with a ruffle on the front down the runway for the challenge to create an upcycled look for Karlie Kloss to wear to a CFDA event in Paris, he found himself in the bottom three. "I cannot see Karlie wearing it anywhere, honestly," judge Brandon Maxwell said, to which Tyler replied, "Not even to dinner with the Kushners?"

The moment quickly grabbed headlines and went viral after the episode aired. Karlie shared her reaction to all the buzz surrounding Tyler's comments during her appearance on Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen on January 15. "Well, listen, I was honored to be one of the first memes of the decade," she said in the above clip. "But, honestly, the real tragedy of this whole thing is that no one is talking about how terrible that dress was. That's why he went home! And no, I would not wear that dress to any kind of dinner." 

Tyler, who apologized to Karlie after he was eliminated at the end of the episode, clarified his comment during an interview with The Daily Dish earlier this month. "Bottom line, I have a lot of respect for Karlie," he said before explaining that his comment was just meant as a way to describe the kind of woman he envisioned wearing his garment.

"So that's what is bothersome about some of the coverage, both press and Twitter, is a lot of people are treating it as this non sequitur," Tyler said, adding that he felt like people saw it as him being "just pissed about his outfit being in the bottom." "It was not a non sequitur; it was entirely related to the aesthetic of the look."

Tyler said that he was glad he was able to resolve things with Karlie before leaving the competition. "I'm not a nasty person. I thought we were on a friendly enough playing field. So Karlie, at the end of the day, she's a human, so I don't want her to just hate me or feel awful about what I said," he shared. "I set the record straight at the end of the episode, so I really sincerely hope there are no hard feelings."

On WWHL, Andy Cohen also asked Karlie if she is "on the same page politically with the family." "Andy, I'm sure I'm not the only person in this country who does not necessarily agree with their family on politics," she shared. "I voted as a Democrat in 2016, and I plan to do the same in 2020."

In fact, Karlie is active in raising awareness for causes she cares about, such as with her nonprofit Kode With Klossy that empowers girls to learn to code and become leaders in tech. "I'm very passionate about different issues, women's reproductive health, and I'm very involved with Planned Parenthood, as are you," Karlie said to Andy on WWHL. "Next time we're both home in St. Louis, you should come volunteer with me."

Karlie, who married Joshua Kushner in 2018, also shared how "it was a different world" when they first met in 2012. "My man and I have been through a lot together, and I'm so proud that he's my partner. It's not been easy, but it's worth it," Karlie said. "I would make that same decision a million times again."

Watch Karlie on Project Runway Thursdays at 9/8c, and catch up on the competition anytime through the Bravo app.

Christian Siriano breaks down the episode with the latest eliminated designer in the Project Runway Season 18 After Show, which you can check out, below.

Photo: Getty Images