Vivienne Westwood's Son and His Ex-Publicist Are Having a Dramatic Dudefight Over Email

Did everyone know that in July, London designer Vivienne Westwood locked herself in a birdcage to protest the extradition trial of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange? Well, it’s been approximately 100 years since June, so I totally forgot.

In the shadow of this perplexing political stand, however, a lesser, more confounding drama has escalated to an all-out cage match between Westwood’s son and his publicist. Joe Corré, a similar “fashion activist” and Westwood’s heir, was been embroiled in a heated email exchange with his former publicist, Richard Hillgrove, with whom he has worked since 2014. WWD reports that Hillgrove quit his job in September, after the two collaborated on Westwood’s bizarre political stunt. Hillgrove reportedly gave Corré a month notice before he left his employment, but in emails seen by the outlet, Corré rejected his notice, and began “sending Hillgrove e-mails so venomous they could turn a man to stone.” Let me be the judge of that; here’s one, per WWD:

“Your behavior has been disgusting, I have supported you so much in the past to the point where I would have taken a bullet for you. You haven’t even had the decency to explain or discuss your decision to cut your relationship with me after everything we have been through.”

Elsewhere in the email, WWD reports that Corré than used words to describe Hillgrove’s wife that “cannot be reprinted here.” Hillgrove also told the outlet that Corré used sexist language and “religious hate speech” in the same email.

In a comment to WWD about the whole affair, Corré did himself absolutely no favors.

“Richard is an idiot, and his desire to let everyone know that he is one by sending out press releases on this non-story just proves that he is one. We worked very successfully together as a team, but when he is left to his own devices he is a car crash. Goodbye Richard!”

OK, but is Vivienne Westwood still in that birdcage? I’ve lost the plot on what exactly everyone is fighting about. But to Corré, specifically: Please log off!