‘Project Runway’ Designer Throws Jaw-Dropping Shade at Karlie Kloss with “Kushners” Slam

Y’all, I have seen a lot on Project Runway, from Rob cracking his skull open and Jeffrey making a mom cry to Sandro punching a camera and, lord, the twins. But I have never, ever, seen a moment like what just happened last night on Season 18 of Project Runway. That’s because I’ve never seen a designer that’s already up for elimination throw shade at a judge regarding their spouse while we’re all existing in this political climate. F’ing yikes!

The moment came in Episode 4 of what’s shaping up to be one of the juiciest seasons of Project Runway in a hot minute. The challenge: design a look for host/judge Karlie Kloss to wear to a CFDA event in Paris. The materials: upcycled garments purchased from Goodwill. The designer: 29-year-old Jersey native Tyler Neasloney. The read:

Y’all.

Let’s break that moment down: yes, Karlie Kloss’ husband is Joshua Kushner. They’ve been dating since 2012 and got married in 2018. Joshua Kushner’s brother is Jared Kushner. Jared Kushner is married to Ivanka Trump. Ivanka Trump is, duh, Donald Trump’s daughter. So, Karlie Kloss’ brother-in-law is Donald Trump’s son-in-law. You can see why just the mention of the Kushners, especially in a reality-competition show where the challenge involved neither the White House nor in-laws is such a gasp-worthy moment. The topic is loaded!

What that Twitter clip is missing is the shot of Karlie narrowing the hell out of her eyes at Tyler just before the episode cuts to commercial (peep the art above for that shot). The safe designers, watching the drama unfold on TV from backstage, all rightfully freaked the hell out.

We are all Brittany after watching that clip.

After returning from the commercial break, Tyler tried to walk back the comment, smiling kinda awkwardly and saying with a smile, “That’s your husband!” She knows. Karlie, keeping it professional with a stern smile, says, “I was going to Paris, that was your challenge here. Keep it to the challenge.” She then critiqued his garment, saying that he “really missed the mark here, on all accounts.”

Tyler, no surprise, went home. Tyler’s fate was probably sealed at the very moment he mentioned Kloss’ husband on the stage, but he’d also been in the bottom the previous two weeks. It’s kind of an unwritten reality show rule that if you’re in the bottom a third time in a row, it’s your time. But then again, of the three looks in the bottom, Tyler’s was the only one that was actually wearable and not falling apart. So…

Tyler apologized to Kloss after getting eliminated, saying that he’s not a jerk and that what he said had “no hidden agenda, no meaning, no nothing like that,” and she accepted his apology. But just… let this be a note to all the designers: don’t bring up a judge’s spouse in a pointed way, even unintentionally! I feel like that didn’t need to be said, but here we are.

New episodes of Project Runway Season 18 air on Bravo on Thursdays at 9 p.m. ET.

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