Tom Eerebout: "Nobody had told Gaga that I no longer worked for her." (in 2012)

[SimonBaetens 6,745]

In an interview on the podcast 'Falen is een optie' (in Dutch), Gaga's stylist Tom Eerebout talked about the awkward end of his collaboration with Gaga and her team. Here is my own transcript and translation of the passages about working with Gaga:

"I interned for her then stylist (name not mentioned) for three years. I was first assistant, taking care of everything, and I was working for free. I told that I wanted a raise, or any salary at all. The stylist informed me that this was not an option. So I was dropped and had to start from zero. I had the feeling I had wasted three years of my life and had expected more from my boss. I remember doing things for them like waking up in the middle of the night to change a lightbulb in their kitchen.  

"I remember my last day with Gaga. We were in London, during the Born This Way era. After a show, Gaga and her team were off to wherever and I was alone in the hotel (The Dorchester) where I was packing all of her stuff and waiting for it to be picked up. I was sitting on the balcony smoking a cigarette and thought to myself: so this was it, what I am going to do now? The stylist had promised to help my find another job, but nothing came of that. I started crying. Three years of my life wasted on work that I wasn't even credited for."

He then went on to working for Kylie Minogue through mutual connections. 

"After I stopped working for Gaga, I kept going to her shows when she was near me, for example in London. I remember I was in South Africa to work on a shoot for a magazine when Gaga was performing there. So I went to see the show with crew from the shoot and saw Gaga backstage afterwards. She was going to fly to Moscow or wherever next and she asked "You're coming with me, right?" And I said "No..." I looked awkwardly at her assistant and realized: nobody has told me that I no longer work for her. I think this was about three months after they had dropped me. And I felt so bad, also for Gaga, because of the position they put her in."

The exact chronology of events is not entirely clear to me, but he also spoke about how he ended up working for Gaga again.

"Until they (the stylist) called me about a year later, desperately looking for someone to step in and train a new assistant (after their two left hands had left him), which I did. I was no too proud to go back and in a lot of ways very grateful for that time. It was then that Gaga realized I was the one doing the work and she eventually became my client. We clicked from the start. I think that was part of the problem: she did not click as well with the other stylist and we did, which they saw as threat."

For context: the general theme of the podcast is success and failure. The interview is exclusive for subscribers of newspaper De Morgen.

Edited June 19 by SimonBaetens

[River 104,866]

I think he's talking about Anna Trevelyan.

[SimonBaetens 6,745]

Just now, River said:

I think he's talking about Anna Trevelyan.

Yeah? I think more likely about Brandon Maxwell or Nicola Formichetti? Considering we're talking 2012-ish

[palma 7,416]

God I love her but she needs a more hands-on approach when it comes to her team  they can be so unprofessional and toxic and end up tarnishing her own brand.

Is Tom talking about Nicola or Dada or someone I don't know? 

[elijahfan 24,869]

Title is a little misleading, makes it seem like he stopped working for her now. Very interesting story tho.

2 minutes ago, River said:

I think he's talking about Anna Trevelyan.

Timing is giving off Brandon Maxwell, I think. Anna was more TFM / Monster Ball era.

Edited June 19 by elijahfan

[elijahfan 24,869]

2 minutes ago, palma said:

God I love her but she needs a more hands-on approach when it comes to her team  they can be so unprofessional and toxic and end up tarnishing her own brand.

Is Tom talking about Nicola or Dada or someone I don't know? 

I don’t get that vibe from Formichetti, and they’re all still working together today. I can’t imagine Tom would bad-mouth a current collaborator. On the other hand, Brandon has been out of the picture for a while. He’s also giving off a certain vibe that’s making all that not so surprising, but that’s just my gut feeling…

[elijahfan 24,869]

Unfortunately, Tom’s story is quite common in the fashion and entertainment industry. It’s great that there was a redemption arc for him and a happy ending, it’s a testament to Gaga’s loyalty towards her collaborators and how she might be kept in the dark about certain behaviors.

[SimonBaetens 6,745]

5 minutes ago, elijahfan said:

Title is a little misleading, makes it seem like he stopped working for her now. Very interesting story tho.

Timing is giving off Brandon Maxwell, I think. Anna was more TFM / Monster Ball era.

true, I'll edit the title

[Panchecco 17,403]

OH so sad! I'm glad all is better now for him. The fashion industry is crazy, working 3 months without any kind of compensation!!??

[Ashley 8,588]

1 hour ago, palma said:

God I love her but she needs a more hands-on approach when it comes to her team  they can be so unprofessional and toxic and end up tarnishing her own brand.

Is Tom talking about Nicola or Dada or someone I don't know? 

Dada wasn’t her stylist, he was creative director and he wasn’t around anymore in 2012.

[Defmix100 5,933]

1 hour ago, Panchecco said:

OH so sad! I'm glad all is better now for him. The fashion industry is crazy, working 3 months without any kind of compensation!!??

3 years

[moonsago 6,518]

I know it’s difficult, but she really needs a more hands on approach with the people she works with because they keep doing stuff behind her back that to somehow that doesn’t know all the details, puts her in a negative light. I’m glad she proved her character in the end. 

[Edonis 28,616]

Gaga's team is MESSY nnn 

[nATAH 42,272]

idk why its Gaga's fault people are sh*tty  expecting her to admin her own team on such a detailed level when she's already working her ass off on multiple projects is kinda delulu

the problem with abusive people is that they know how to get away with it and you can't fault Gaga for that

[Lady Rah Rah 1,945]

I’m shocked he was able to keep himself afloat for 3 years with no income? So glad there was a happy ending for him though!