White House Denies Michelle Obama Spent $50,000 on Lingerie
The White House denies the Michelle Obama spent $50,000 on lingerie, which was the claim made by several British reporters.
The reports of the First Lady's lingerie spree were splashed across newspapers in the U.K., including The Telegraph, The Sun and Daily Mail.
The newspapers alleged that Michelle Obama spent $50,000 on lingerie at a New York City boutique in 2011.
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Those close to the First Lady flatly deny the story, calling it "100 percent false."
"It's utterly false," White House press secretary Jay Carney said. "And it's irresponsible of an American news organization to repeat the story, even allowing that it could be true. So it's wrong."
The reports said Obama shopped at Agent Provocateur, a high end store that sells items from $150 to $2,000. The store has reportedly attracted many big name celebrities in the past year.
Reporters at a press conference asked the press secretary to confirm or deny the rumors.
Carney, a former reporter, responded by trashing the legitimacy of the British press, making claims that the newspapers are more like tabloids and can hardly be trusted.
"At least when I was a reporter, usually the standard for British tabloid reporting was the assumption that it was false," Mr. Carney said. "In this case, it's utterly false."
The latest press is not the first time the First Lady has made headlines for shopping sprees or alleged shopping sprees.
Last year she was accused of posing for a photo-op when a single photographer took pictures of her as she left a Washington, D.C. area Target store.
The First Lady was also blasted in some reports after wearing a dress worth $2,000 while on Christmas vacation in Hawaii.
It is unclear why the new accusations emerged in all three British newspapers on the same day. The news was not reported in the U.S.
The First Lady has not commented on the allegations, but let spokesmen deny the rumors.
