Kathy Ireland: I Wasn't on "Meds" at the Oscars
Credit: Jason Merritt/Getty Images
Kathy Ireland is firing back at critics who are slamming her appearance on ABC's pre-Oscar special.
At times, the swimsuit model, 46, appeared stiff and awkward as she interviewed celebs like Zac Efron and Precious' Gabourey Sidibe.
"No One Reads a Teleprompter Like Kathy," screamed a TMZ headline. A Gawker editor called her a "travesty."
But viewers on Twitter were much harsher.
One person called Ireland the best "hot mess" ever and made fun of her "stiff arm" and weird questions. "Best use of medication," the person added.
See what all the stars wore to the Oscars!
Said another: "Kathy Ireland is freakin me out!" She's a "great model," one person also Twittered, but a "brutal pre-Oscar interview."
Via Twitter, Ireland took time out to reply to all of her haters individually. (She even justified to one fan why her right hand looked so stiff: "Child care and gardening can make hands a little rough," she explained.)
Ireland Twittered that she "cannot please everyone...and frankly I wouldn't ever want to."
"Don't feel embarrassed for me," she Twittered to another fan. "Had a blast and it was so much FUN!"
See stars' first time at the Oscars
She said she thought it was "great for people 2B honest" because it helps her "learn & grow."
But the mother-of-three was careful to stress that she wasn't under the influence, as many people on Twitter suggested.
"No meds or alcohol Angel===just J.O.Y.!" she wrote to one fan, telling another: "Never use drugs and that as a Mom is not a cool or funny suggestion."
Eek! See the worst dressed Oscar stars of all time!
She later added: "Some say I looked pregnant.LOL! Not true...others say I was drinking...would LOL if it were not so sad. Just excited 2 be involved. Grateful."
But don't expect her to take on regular hosting gigs.
Said Ireland (the CEO of Kathy Ireland World Wide, a $1.4 billion design empire): "I won't give up my day job of design."
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62To Kathy Ireland; Honey, LOVED YOUR DRESS--I thought, 'how original and yet pulled off well, and not too over the top', a good thing when you are the interviewer! Don't let a few bad apples make you feel bad and color your experience. You Go Girl!!!
one word....TERRIBLE.
Her "modeling poses" were very distracting during the interviews. I did not like her as an interviewer at all!
In her defense, I will say this......when I put a girdle on, I go from looking fat to looking pregnant because it tends to push everything to one spot. LOL! So, that may have been what caused the "baby bump." I think if she really were pregnant and wanting to hide a baby bump, she would have picked a different dress style. I really think what comes across as a baby bump is just a matter of a bad fitting foundation. With that said, I think she looks great and not fat at all. As to appearing to be "off" or an airhead, that could just be lack of sleep or nervousness. I'm sure she was up early that morning and wouldn't be surprised at all if she didn't get any sleep the night before.
I didn't see her on TV, but her pictures don't look at all like her.
OMFG i really hate when she interviewed the stars! what's up with that attitude?! she's so not natural compare to the other two, her gestures are exaggerated!
She was on DWTS she was an airhead then. She should keep her day job. What is wrong with these execs. and producers, etc. who think because the likes of this woman and Melissa and Jake that they can do anything else such as what this woman tried to do and of course that sickening Melissa. Enough of Jake already too. Smarten up people. Let this woman go back to design, she couldn't dance either.
I had no idea that was Kathy Ireland on the red carpet interviewing. There was something definitely off about her that night.
I missed the pre-show but read all the criticism so I looked at the video online. I don't know what the big deal is about. It wasn't that bad and it wasn't that great. Yes, she seemed a bit unnatural, but maybe she was nervous, however, the comments I've read about her being under the influence are baseless. Even knocking her physical appearance is so mean and unnecessary. She looks great. It's refreshing to see a 40-something mother of 3 who isn't anorexic-looking, or botoxed into looking like she's wearing a plastic mask. And the comments suggesting she looks pregnant are just cruel. So she's not as comfortably phony as those seasoned celebrity reporters on ET or Access Hollywood who know how to kiss up to celebrities. I thought she did okay for a first time interviewer at the Academy Awards. Besides. . . if this interviewing thing doesn't work out, she's still got her own self-made $1.5 billion company to fall back on.
It was SO creepy to watch her. I was scared. You could tell the celebs were too. They were like WTF. Zac Efron looked mortified. She would do good in scary films. Thanks ABC.
She looked to me like she had very recent plastic surgery done. Her face has never looked that odd before and that would explain why she was still stiff from the operation.
Okay I watched this last night and I did think something was off about her. It just seemed like this was her first time ever talking to other celebrities. When she was interviewing them, they were kinda looking at her strange. Okay and by no means am I saying the women is fat cause she looks dan good but when she kept turning sideways I kept pushing pause to see if she was pregnant. It didn't look like a fat stomach, it seriously looked like a pregnant stomach.
and one more thing...!!don't repeat the experiment....half n hour wasted on someone who's skils are non existent, at least she learned to lower her voice, but the stance??
how sad...so many great journos not working, and this non journo gets to represent us!!! i don't totally blame her for the pathetic appearance and bad questions...why the hell did ABC use her, and the Sherry lady too in the first place..??awful perfectly awful, that sideway standing shot, the hair, the hand so freakish...why? why? no wonder celebs don't want to stop by and 'chat' waste of oxygen..
how sad...so many great journos not working, and this non journo gets to represent us!!! i don't totally blame her for the pathetic appearance and bad questions...why the hell did ABC use her, and the Sherry lady too in the first place..??awful perfectly awful, that sideway standing shot, the hair, the hand so freakish...why? why? no wonder celebs don't want to stop by and 'chat' waste of oxygen..
Her interviews were fine - she did fine - people can be soooo cruel.
Seeing her in this role way beyond uncomfortable. And I to took a double take when they panned to her mid-section...yikes.
Wow, what happened to Kathy, she got so old-looking. I've seen her old modeling day pictures and my mom has some old workout videos of hers. This use to be one hot, young, beautiful exercise video girl. Now she's just loopy and old and stiff. Poor thing.
Kathy wasn't any worse than the other interviewers on ABC or the other channels. Sherry Shephard from The View made me cringe, especially when she was talking to George Clooney. I don't really think the red carpet pre-show shows are worth the effort. The stars are nervous and anxious to get to their seats; the interviewers many times ignore the spouses/significant others, usually because they're too dumb to know who they are. It's beyond awkward. Besides, it's not like we don't have enough time to see the stars during the drawn-out endless show itself.
I may be slightly biased because Kathy is a real life friend of mine but I really need to comment on this article and some of the rude comments here. The thing a lot of ppl don't seem to understand that Kathy is the nicest, kindest, sweetest person and it is VERY natural and real. She is also drop dead gorgeous on tv AND in person. She's not a journalist or interviewer and doesn't pretend to be. When she gets the rare opportunity to glam up and put on a gown, she says she feels like Cinderella. She is no diva and is no lightweight. She runs a giant business that generates a billion dollars in revenue every year and is one of Forbes' top businesswomen. So please, try and see the whole package. PS: Kathy, I think that gown is amazing. You looked great.