'Project Runway' Lawsuit Reveals That Tim Gunn Was Forced To 'Make it Work' For Free
It's hard to place a value on irreplaceable Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn, and once upon a time, the Weinstein Company didn't even try. According to testimony this month from beleaguered mogul Harvey Weinstein (who's currently being sued by Bravo in the wake of Runway's network hop), Gunn was reimbursed during the first season of Project Runway for the low, low price of $0 per episode:
Tim Gunn did something when he started out on "Project Runway" that he'd probably never advise his design proteges to do. He worked for nothing. In testimony in N.Y. State Supreme Court this month, movie/TV mogul Harvey Weinstein told the judge that the fashion mentor wasn't paid anything in the show's first season.
The second season wasn't much better for Gunn: He got only $2,500 per episode, according to testimony in the court battle, which pits NBC/Universal against the Weinstein Co., which owns "Project Runway," over taking Heidi Klum's popular show from NBC's Bravo to Lifetime.
That's right: by the time Chloe Dao (who?) accepted the season two grand prize, Tim Gunn had made a combined $35,000 for seasons one and two. Let's hope that Gunn has since been able to caucus with Weinstein and raise his price; earning such a low figure for his tireless Runway work is less than "fierce"...in fact, it's not even "'licious."
[Photo Credit: Getty Images]
- Tim Gunn's 'Run'-pay: Thin's in [New York Daily News]
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@Marjory Stewart-Baxter: I am killing myself.
@Sleepyhead: I blame the internet.
Victor Ward
Also, he was doing a podcast for them at the time. Did he get paid for that? My fiancee shows up on his friend's video podcast on no network and gets paid $100 a shot. Could no one even get the man a sandwich or something?
SeaPeople
I remember an interview where he described his apartment as the size of a dorm and said that "living in New York means that you agree to live like a college student for the rest of your life". Sadly, this now makes so much sense.
whitekidinflatbush
it's sad to think that my silver fox made less than what the hosts of this interstitial show i used to work on for the frigging USA Network.
el smrtmnky
@Victor Ward: I like the idea of them going to the Olive Garden better. Maybe its the all you can eat salad and breadsticks.
gangrenejean
@Victor Ward: And you spelled Andrae wrong twice. I think you need to turn in your scissors and your Mood frequent shopper card. Victor Ward, I'm sorry, you are out!
Sleepyhead
@Marjory Stewart-Baxter: haha, the rest of us got it.
roxybebop
@Victor Ward: It's actually Red Lobster.
Marjory Stewart-Baxter
But his contract at Parsons might have not allowed any outside paid gigs. Is Parsons getting anything?
BScrivner
Silly me, I just thought it was only us single straight girls who gave it away for free.
Little Mintz Sunshine
Luv Tim but that's what happens when you have Austin Scarlett negotiate your deal.
Breadbowl
@Marjory Stewart-Baxter: It's a second season Project Runway reference. Although I did misspell - it's actually Andre.
Victor Ward
@Victor Ward: The Olive Garden? You should be ashamed of yourself.
Marjory Stewart-Baxter
And how could he afford to take Andrei to The Olive Garden on that salary?
Victor Ward
Why is it that every time I see a story about Project Runway my heart races?
Anyway, $0 is definitely crazy. Especially since now he's, arguably, the biggest draw for viewers, as far as cast members.
Victor Ward
Sounds to me like obfuscation in the form of presentng what he made upfront versus any back-end deals.
Heh heh. Back end.
Oxycontinmoron
No, it's a "hot tranny mess" . . . and it ain't right.
SugartitsMcFirecrotch