Anna Wintour Breaks Silence On Being The Alleged Inspiration Behind ‘The Devil Wears Prada’

Famed journalist and fashion powerhouse Anna Wintour has finally broken her silence on being the alleged inspiration of the blockbuster production “The Devil Wears Prada.”

While speaking on the New Yorker’s official podcast^[1], Wintour, former editor-in-chief of Vogue, opened up about the film, explaining that she actually attended the screening of the production in 2006 wearing none other than Prada. According to Wintour, 75, she went in completely blind, having no idea what the movie starring Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep was about.

After seeing the film, Wintour revealed several of her fashion colleagues admitted they were worried for her future in the industry. “I think that the fashion industry were very sweetly concerned for me about the film, that it was going to paint me in some kind of difficult light,” she said.

Regardless, Wintour admitted she found the movie “highly enjoyable,” calling it “very funny.” She even said she speaks to Miuccia Bianchi, head designer of Prada, about the film often. “I say to her: ‘Well, it was really good for you,'” she said.

Hathaway and Streep starred in the 2006 production of “The Devil Wears Prada,” which is adapted from the book of the same name. The publication was written by Lauren Weisberger, Wintour’s former assistant.

While the book and movie feature dramatized events, the story is based on Weisberger’s own experience as an aspiring journalist at the mercy of a notoriously high-strung and demanding boss.

The film was a huge success, grossing more than $300 million at the box office. Streep’s performance was so revered that she was awarded several accolades, including the Golden Globe for Best Actress. The legendary performer was also nominated for Best Lead Actress at the Academy Awards, BAFTA Awards, SAG Awards, and Critics’ Choice ceremony.

Elsewhere during her conversation with the New Yorker, Wintour shared that she thoroughly enjoyed the movie, which “had a lot of humor to it.”

“It had a lot of wit. It had Meryl Streep. I mean, it was Emily Blunt, [and] they were all amazing. In the end, I thought it was a fair shot,” she added.

And if she loved the first, hopefully Wintour loves the second, which is currently in production, according to multiple sources, including PEOPLE^[2] and Variety^[3].

The sequel, which will star Hathaway and Streep, along with returning cast members Emily Blunt and Stanley Tucci, “reportedly follows Priestly as she navigates her career amid the decline of traditional magazine publishing and as she faces off against Blunt’s character, now a high-powered executive for a luxury group with advertising dollars that Priestly desperately needs.”

Currently, the film is scheduled for release in theaters worldwide on May 1, 2026, while the original movie is available to stream on Disney+ and Hulu and for rent on Prime Video.

The release of “The Devil Wears Prada 2” comes at an especially poignant time, considering Wintour recently announced her decision to step down from her role as Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue.

According to a previous report from The Blast^[4], Wintour told her colleagues about the news during a morning staff meeting, revealing she’d remain as the Global Content Officer of Condé Nast.

The iconic fashion journalist will also continue to support Condé Nast’s other publications, such as Glamour, Vanity Fair, and GQ.

Wintour’s announcement sent shockwaves across social media, with one user writing, “It don’t even seem right, when you see Vogue, you see Anna Wintour.”

Another user posted a more dramatic take, comparing her exit to the tragic “9/11” terrorist attacks.

Weeks later, Wintour announced Vogue’s new lead editor, Chloe Malle, the daughter of actress Candice Bergen and movie director Louis Malle.

The announcement was met with backlash, with netizens accusing Malle of only getting the position due to nepotism.

However, Wintour rejected those claims during another podcast appearance, as reported by PEOPLE^[5], explaining that Malle had to work hard for the title.

“We saw a lot of amazing candidates,” Wintour said. “Chloe consistently came back with the clearest vision and the most original ideas and understanding of what a Vogue is.”