Meryl Streep hits back at Chanel boss Karl Lagerfeld for dress jibe

Meryl Streep has accused Karl Lagerfeld of ruining her Oscar night by falsely accusing her of being paid to wear a dress by another designer to the ceremony.

Ms Streep hit back at the Chanel boss after he said she had decided not to wear one of the French fashion house's dresses to Sunday's ceremony because she could get paid for wearing a gown from a different designer.

The actress, who has been nominated this year for a record-breaking 20th time, said his jibes had overshadowed her achievement. She brushed off the German designer's statement of regret over his words as "generic" and "not an apology".

She said in a statement: "The story was picked up globally, and continues, globally, to overwhelm my appearance at the Oscars, on the occasion of myrecord breaking 20th nomination, and to eclipse this honor in the eyes of the media, my colleagues and the audience."

Ms Streep is up for Best Actress for her role as an eccentric opera singer in the comedy Florence Foster Jenkins. She has already won three Oscars.

In a statement Mr Lagerfeld admitted he had "misunderstood that Ms Streep may have chosen another designer due to remuneration" and said he regretted the controversy.