“Not A Good Look In This Economy”: Simone Biles And Other Influencers Are Sharing The Eye-Watering Fees For Red Carpet Glam Teams, And People Are Both Baffled And Disgusted

Being a celebrity looks very fun. But it’s also very expensive — just ask Simone Biles. Patrick Mcdermott / Getty Images

Patrick Mcdermott / Getty Images

This week, Simone shared a chatty TikTok breaking down the exorbitant price she paid to hire a professional stylist and a hair and makeup team for a recent red carpet event. Addressing the vid to fellow celebrities and influencers, she asked, “I just need to know if this is normal, because I know going outside is expensive as **** these days, but is it this expensive?” A person is speaking in a modern, stylish interior. They have long hair, glasses, and are wearing a simple top

The Olympic star didn’t reveal the specific event or the identities of the glam team she hired, but she said that “with the stylist fee, hair, and makeup team,” her “grand total” was $23,000. A person in a casual outfit and glasses speaks to the camera in a modern living room setting Simone — who, for what it’s worth, is reported to have an estimated net worth of around $25 million dollars — said her intention for the video wasn’t to encourage her followers to “go bash people,” but rather to figure out if that price range is “******* normal” for a regular red carpet event. Person posing elegantly on the red carpet in a fitted, shimmering dress

Amy Sussman / Getty Images

“I get inflation, like I get prices these days have gone up. But if that’s the new norm, y’all can have it. Y’all will never see me at another event. I’m going to sit my *** right here where it’s free,” she said. “I see a lot of y’all at events, and there’s no way you guys are paying these prices each and every time.” Person with long hair and glasses indoors, gesturing while speaking, seated in a stylishly decorated room with modern elements

As you’d expect, the commentary around this topic is a complete minefield. I, for one, have never hired a glam team, but based on comments from the influencers and athletes under Simone’s video, the $23k price tag is pretty wild, even by celeb standards. Tweet about spending $6-8K on red carpet events including stylist, hair, makeup, driver, and travel Comment from a user about not using stylists, preferring to buy a gown to keep, and expecting to pay $1k for hair and makeup

From what I can tell, Simone’s most recent red carpet appearance was at the Laureus World Sports Awards in Madrid, Spain, on April 20, which has prompted speculation that a large chunk of the $23k may have gone on the glam team’s overseas travel and accommodation costs. Person wearing an elegant, one-shoulder gown with flowing fringe detail on a red carpet, smiling and holding a clutch

Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Getty Images

And while everyone is unanimously outraged by the price, some folks have called Simone “out of touch” for thinking it was appropriate to share this information publicly. Person wearing a stylish, textured off-shoulder gown, smiling at a formal event

Stephane Cardinale – Corbis / Getty Images

“Girl, this is not a good look in this economy,” one Reddit user wrote, while someone else in the TikTok comments section echoed similar thoughts. “This isn’t tone deaf at all when people are struggling with basic necessities like food and healthcare,” they said, presumably with a strong dose of sarcasm. A person with glasses and long hair sits in a stylish modern room, appearing engaged or thoughtful

In Simone’s defense, she did specify that the video was aimed specifically at her fellow celebrities, athletes, and influencers, so we can’t say we weren’t warned! But what do you make of this? I personally cannot fathom paying even a fraction of that price for glam. Maybe I’m just in a different tax bracket. Sound off in the comments.Watch the full clip here.

@simonebilesowens / Via tiktok.com

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