Alison Roman's New York Times column has been put on hold after the food writer criticized Chrissy Teigen and Marie Kondo in an interview. Here's how the drama unfolded.
- Alison Roman, an author and food columnist for The New York Times, was interviewed by The New Consumer about how she wants to grow her brand.
- Roman is facing backlash for comments she made in the article published Thursday, where she seemed to criticize the business model of home organizing expert Marie Kondo and said she is "horrified" by the "Cravings" empire created by Chrissy Teigen.
- Teigen responded to Roman's interview, saying: "This is a huge bummer and hit me hard."
- Roman apologized to Teigen via Twitter on Friday and has since attempted to clarify the meaning of her words.
- UPDATE: May 26, 2020: This story was originally published on May 9 and was updated on May 26 to include news of Roman's newsletter, where she will publish her recipes.
- Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.
Fans of Alison Roman may know her as the creator of a chocolate chip shortbread cookie recipe that took over Instagram, or for her popular cookbooks "Dining In" and "Nothing Fancy."
The food writer is no stranger to going viral for one of her appetizing yet approachable kitchen creations.
Since Friday, though, Roman has been a trending name online due to a recent interview with The New Consumer, in which she appeared to bash the business philosophies of home organizing expert Marie Kondo and "Cravings" author and creator Chrissy Teigen. Keep reading to see how the saga unfolded.
UPDATE: May 26, 2020: This story was originally published on May 9 and was updated on May 26 to include news of Roman's newsletter, where she will publish her recipes.
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Alison Roman is a New York Times food columnist and author of two best-selling cookbooks known for crafting recipes that go viral.
The 34-year-old writes a bi-weekly column for the New York Times' cooking section, and authored two cookbooks, "Dining In," published in 2017, and "Nothing Fancy," her second book, released in 2019.
The food writer is perhaps best known for her recipes that have garnered social media fame — including "The Stew" and "The Cookies," which are her Salted Butter and Chocolate Chunk Shortbread cookies — which have led to a cult-like following of the cook's concoctions.
Roman has emerged as a prominent millennial voice in food culture and cooking.
In a February 2019 article published in Vox, writer Nisha Chittal wrote that the popularity of Roman, her recipes, and her style of cooking was "proof that millennials are embracing home cooking."
In a November 2019 article from the New Yorker, Michele Moses described the devout fans who have glommed onto Roman's cooking and the unique target audience of her recipes, videos, and social media content.
Roman's cooking, Moses wrote, focuses on fat-heavy ingredients and accents "such as anchovies and preserved lemon, that are briny, tangy, funky, and polarizing."
"Part of the appeal is her grasp of her audience: the financially unsteady millennial generation, which has turned 'nothing fancy' into an aesthetic choice," Moses wrote.
On May 7, digital publication The New Consumer published an interview with Roman, where she talked about the direction she's hoping to take her brand.
The New Consumer, a website described as "a new publication covering the intersection of technology and consumer brands" created by Dan Frommer, published an interview with Roman on May 7 called "What Alison Roman wants."
The focus of the interview seemed to be on Roman's next step in building her brand.
"Roman, 34, has emerged as one of the most interesting and visible people in the food media world, at a time when cooking at home has unexpectedly taken over our lives," Frommer's article began.
"And she's now at a crossroads: How to build a bigger business without selling out?" Frommer continued in The New Consumer.
Roman, who has sold her first TV show, said in the article that turning her brand into a lifestyle line with a variety of products related to cooking, home, and style, may not be something she's interested in.
"I'd rather stay small and always be myself," Roman said. "But at the same time, I do need to figure out how to turn this into money."
Later in the interview, Roman used professional home organizer and author Marie Kondo as an example to illustrate what she said she doesn't want her brand to become.
The interview continued with Roman saying that she enjoys cooking "because you're making something, but it goes away."
"Like the idea that when Marie Kondo decided to capitalize on her fame and make stuff that you can buy, that is completely antithetical to everything she's ever taught you… I'm like, damn, b----, you f------ just sold out immediately! Someone's like 'you should make stuff,' and she's like, 'okay, slap my name on it, I don't give a s---!'" Roman said.
She continued: "That's the thing — you don't need a ton of equipment in your kitchen to make great food," Roman said. 'For the low, low price of $19.99, please buy my cutting board!' Like, no. Find the stuff that you love and buy it. Support businesses and makers. It feels greedy. Unless something just simply didn't exist that I wish existed, but that would make an inventor, which I'm not."
Roman also shared her thoughts on the business model of Chrissy Teigen, author of the cookbook "Cravings" and creator of a cookware line — saying: "That horrifies me."
"Like, what Chrissy Teigen has done is so crazy to me," Roman said in the interview. "She had a successful cookbook. And then it was like: Boom, line at Target. Boom, now she has an Instagram page that has over a million followers where it's just, like, people running a content farm for her. That horrifies me and it's not something that I ever want to do. I don't aspire to that. But like, who's laughing now? Because she's making a ton of f------ money."
"I'm more interested in expanding myself as a writer. My next book is going to be narrative nonfiction — essays and short stories and stuff," Roman added.
Teigen shared her reaction to Roman's interview on Twitter, saying: "This is a huge bummer and hit me hard."
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1258904780090425344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
this is a huge bummer and hit me hard. I have made her recipes for years now, bought the cookbooks, supported her on social and praised her in interviews. I even signed on to executive produce the very show she talks about doing in this article. https://t.co/9xrvQBInAp
In the evening on May 8, Teigen shared an article from Page Six recapping Roman's interview.
"This is a huge bummer and hit me hard," Teigen wrote. "I have made her recipes for years now, bought the cookbooks, supported her on social and praised her in interviews. I even signed on to executive produce the very show she talks about doing in this article."
Teigen defended her "Cravings" brand, saying in response to Roman, "I didn't 'sell out' by making my dreams come true."
Teigen wrote on Twitter that she started her "Cravings" cookbook and accompanying brand because she wanted to start something for herself.
"I wanted something John didn't buy, I wanted something to do that calmed me, made me happy and made others happy, too. Cravings isn't a 'machine' or 'farmed content' - it's me and 2 other women," Teigen wrote.
"I didn't 'sell out' by making my dreams come true. To have a cookware line, to get to be a part of that process start to finish, to see something go from sketch to in my hands, I love that," Teigen continued.
The "Cravings" writer shared her sentiments in a series of follow-up tweets.
"I don't think I've ever been so bummed out by the words of a fellow food-lover. I just had no idea I was perceived that way, by her especially. And Marie, too. Marie is awesome," Teigen wrote.
She continued: "It has been crappy to deal with this all day but I couldn't not say something. I know the actual tears I put into the work I do and it's really hard to see someone try to completely invalidate it. Someone I really liked."
Teigen also claimed that the "Cravings" website has yet to garner any monetary gain — "It is just work, work, work, and the reward is you liking it," she wrote."This 'farm' you think of doesn't exist. I am the farm. I am the cows the horses the pigs."
On Sunday, Teigen tweeted that she was going to "take a little break," presumably from social media. "This is what always happens. The first day, a ton of support, then the next, 1 million reasons as to why you deserved this. It never fails," she wrote.
Roman tweeted an apology to Teigen, describing her comments as "flippant, careless."
//twitter.com/mims/statuses/1258946786061881344?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Hi @chrissyteigen! I sent an email but also wanted to say here that I'm genuinely sorry I caused you pain with what I said. I shouldn't have used you /your business (or Marie's!) as an example to show what I wanted for my own career- it was flippant, careless and I'm so sorry
"I sent an email but also wanted to say here that I'm genuinely sorry I caused you pain with what I said," Roman wrote, tagging Teigen on Twitter. "I shouldn't have used you /your business (or Marie's!) as an example to show what I wanted for my own career- it was flippant, careless and I'm so sorry."
Roman continued in another tweet, saying: "Being a woman who takes down other women is absolutely not my thing and don't think it's yours, either (I obviously failed to effectively communicate that). I hope we can meet one day, I think we'd probably get along."
Roman did not appear to tweet a direct public apology to Marie Kondo, who also has a public account on Twitter, along with her brand, KonMari.
Representatives for Roman, Teigen, and Marie Kondo did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
The "Dining In" author's interview has sparked disappointment and debate on Twitter among both commentators and fans who've loved her recipes for years.
Several of Roman's fans and critics seem to agree that there's nothing wrong with having different business priorities or even being critical of mass consumerism. However, Roman's comments sparked outrage along with who she targeted.
A number of Twitter users were upset seeing Roman single out two women of color, Marie Kondo and Chrissy Teigen, while not criticizing famous white women who have also created wide-spanning lifestyle brands, like Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop wellness empire.
Writer and social commentator Roxane Gay summed up the divisive nature of Roman's interview in a tweet, saying, "I like Alison Roman's recipes. I really like Chrissy Teigen and her various endeavors. That interview included some terrible takes. It's lousy that women of color were the target of her disdain when this is a space dominated by white women. I mean come on."
Gay continued, touching on the harsh reality of cancel culture: "That said, some of y'all wait for the your favs to make a mistake so you can let loose. Maybe we could just admit we don't like everyone and create an environment where that isn't a moral failing and not just wait for convenient opportunities."
In response to backlash from her interview, Roman said: "I am not coming for anyone who's successful, especially not women."
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"I want to clarify, I am not coming for anyone who's successful, especially not women," Roman tweeted on May 8. "I was trying to clarify that my business model does not include a product line, which work very well for some, but I don't see working for me."
On May 11, Roman apologized to Teigen and Kondo, writing: "I need to learn, and respect, the difference between being unfiltered and honest vs. being uneducated and flippant."
In her message, Roman apologized to Teigen and Kondo for using "their names disparagingly to try and distinguish myself, which I absolutely do not have an excuse for."
"It was stupid, careless and insensitive," Roman wrote. "I need to learn, and respect, the difference between being unfiltered and honest vs. being uneducated and flippant."
Roman continued: "The burden is not on them (or anyone else) to teach me, and I'm deeply sorry that my learning came at Chrissy and Marie's expense. They've worked extremely hard to get where they are and both deserve better than my tone deaf remarks."
"I asked myself a lot this weekend why I said what I said," Roman continued. "Why couldn't I express myself without tearing someone down? I definitely could have, and I'm embarassed I didn't. Among the many uncomfortable things I've begun processing is the knowledge that my comments were rooted in my own insecurity. My inability to appreciate my own success without comparing myself to and knocking down others — in this case two accomplished women — is something I recognize and most definitely struggle with, and am working to fix."
Roman went on to say: "I'm a white woman who has and will continue to benefit from white privilege and I recognize that makes what I said even more hurtful. The fact that it didn't occur to me that I had singled out two Asian women is one hundred percent a function of my privilege (being blind to racial insensitivities is a discriminatory luxury). I know that our culture frequently goes after women, especially women of color, and I'm ashamed to have contributed to that."
"I commit to being open and receptive to this conversation as it continues," Roman said.
Teigen responded to Roman's apology, saying: "Hopefully we can all be better and learn from the dumb s--- we have all said and done."
Teigen thanked Roman for her apology on May 11 and shared her response in a series of tweets.
"thank u for this, @alisoneroman," Teigen wrote. "To be clear, it never once crossed my mind for u to apologize for what you genuinely thought! The comments stung, but they moreso stung because they came from u! It wasn't my usual news break of some random person hating everything about me!"
Teigen continued: "I don't agree with the pile-on, ppl waiting with bated breath for apologies, deciding if that apology is good, the ppl who say u were right & never needed to in the first place - there are so many different types in this kind of situation & tbh, I just want it to be over."
The "Cravings" author then seemed to share advice with Roman about life in the public eye.
"I think we are alike in so many ways," Teigen wrote. "I remember the exact time I realized I wasn't allowed to say whatever popped in my head - that I couldn't just say things in the way that so many of my friends were saying. Before, I never really knew where I stood in the industry, in the world ... Eventually, I realized that once the relatable 'snarky girl who didn't care' became a pretty successful cookbook author and had more power in the industry, I couldn't just say whatever the f--- I wanted."
"The more we grow, the more we get those wakeup calls," Teigen said. "Oh! but how I still think some of those things. I just maybe don't unleash on my peers on super public platforms lol."
Teigen added in her tweet addressed to Roman: "I still think you are incredibly talented. And in an industry that doesn't really lend itself to supporting more than a handful of people at a time, I feel like all we have are each other!"
"And honestly, for the past few days, every time I saw a shallot I wanted to cry," Teigen wrote, likely in reference to Roman's shallot pasta recipe. "But I do appreciate this and hopefully we can all be better and learn from the dumb s--- we have all said and done."
Almost two weeks after the initial discourse between Roman and Teigen unfolded, a New York Times representative told Insider via email that Roman's column is "on temporary leave."
In an email to Insider on May 20, a New York Times representative said: "Alison Roman's column is on temporary leave. We're not going to comment further."
Chrissy Teigen later weighed in on the status of Roman's column in a series of tweets.
"I hope we can laugh about it one day but I'm not happy with the NYT leave so she def can't laugh about it yet," Teigen tweeted on May 19 in response to an Alison Roman reference from writer Olivia Nuzzi. "It just sucks in every way."
Teigen responded to another user on Twitter, expressing that she feels she is being blamed for Roman's New York Times column being placed on hold.
"But I very publicly forgave her and am getting very much blamed for her leave," Teigen wrote. "And you have a lot to say on your timeline about me. Which is fine. I'm really tired."
Alison Roman announced that she will start a newsletter for "recipes, reader emails, recommendations," and other food-related discussions.
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Roman gave an update to her followers in an Instagram post on March 26.
She wrote: "I want to thank everyone who's reached out and taken the time to write to me over the last few weeks. I am still working my way through each email (of which there are...a lot!), so if I haven't gotten back to you yet, please know I will."
She continued, thanking fans for expressing "kindness, empathy, tough love, vulnerability and honesty."
"I'm genuinely excited to turn this moment into positive, actionable change and so insanely grateful for even having that opportunity," Roman wrote. "This was a huge shake-up for me both personally and professionally, and I'm still processing so much, but know that I'm working on it and thinking about it 24/7."
She then invited fans to subscribe to her newsletter, a new platform that she will use to share her recipes.
"As for the other kind of work, for the foreseeable future, you can find me in that newsletter I started 3 years ago and never sent out lol," Roman wrote. "There will be recipes, reader emails, recommendations, and discussions about things that I hope you will like or find helpful. In lieu of the comments section or DMs, I encourage you to submit questions/comments/concerns to qcc@alisoneroman.com, the idea being to share some of them in the newsletter (I am learning "the comments section" is not the best place for public discourse)."
Roman shared the link to newsletter and finished her post, saying: "Anyway! I haven't been cooking and won't pretend I have, so here's a bowl of compost, which- a metaphor in there somewhere, I think!"
Roman did not immediately respond to Insider's request for comment about her newsletter.
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