'Killers of the Flower Moon' costume-designer alleges mistreatment, sues Apple
Kristi Marie Hoffman, an Assistant Costume Designer (ACD) for the film Killers of the Flower Moon, has filed a lawsuit against Apple Studios, the Costume Designers Guild (CDG), and costume designer Jacqueline West. Hoffman alleges that her significant contributions to the film were deliberately overlooked. She claims that despite completing most of the research and costume design for the film as the primary ACD, she was excluded from its promotion.
Defendants 'completely ignored her work,' misattributed it to West-Julie O'Keefe
The lawsuit states that the defendants "completely ignored her work and instead represented to the public at large that the costume design work, her work, was the product of West and a consultant on the film, Julie O'Keefe." Hoffman is seeking unspecified damages and an injunction against further promotion of the film. She has previously worked on notable films such as Captain America: Civil War and The Revenant.
Hoffman thinks her previously filed discrimination complaint is the cause
Hoffman further alleged that she was discriminated against on set due to her Native American heritage. She claims she was "targeted" after speaking out about her treatment during the film's production and release. The lawsuit also stated that despite a confidential settlement in December 2022 between Hoffman and Apple over the discrimination complaint, she has been subjected to retaliation by being denied credit for her work on Martin Scorsese's Killers of the Flower Moon.
Hoffman claims credit for Leonardo DiCaprio's jacket design
Hoffman asserted that she was responsible for creating lead star Leonardo DiCaprio's jacket in the film, which has been recognized for its authenticity. However, she alleged that West and O'Keefe took credit for her work in interviews, social media posts, and conferences. Further, Hoffman claimed that Apple and CDG used sponsored ads to promote West and O'Keefe's work while failing to acknowledge her contributions.
Contractual issue with CDG highlighted in lawsuit
Hoffman's complaint also brought to light an issue with CDG's current contract. Under this contract, an ACD falls under the jurisdiction of the costume designer—in this case, West—which may affect Hoffman's standing to cite CDG as a defendant. This contractual issue is expected to be discussed at CDG's general meeting on June 22.
