Fashion designer Michael Costello says he's still "traumatized, depressed and has thoughts of suicide," seven years after online interactions with Chrissy Teigen that he said had a negative effect on his career.
Costello, 38, wrote in a lengthy Instagram post on Monday that Teigen and stylist Monica Rose threatened to not work with any people or brands that worked with Costello, resulting in him losing work for years.
Teigen, 35, has not addressed Costello's claims specifically, but published a lengthy apology on Medium Monday for her past tweets, writing, "I was a troll, full stop. And I am so sorry."
Costello posted apparent screenshots of Instagram direct messages with Teigen in which he pleaded with her to call him to discuss the situation. Instead, she mocked him.
The issue stemmed from what he said was a Photoshopped comment floating around online alleging that he used a racial slur. He said the image was false and eventually taken down by Instagram.
After Costello asked to call her, Teigen replied, "No! I do not have anything to say to you. You will get what's coming to you," according to the screenshots.
In a subsequent message, Teigen allegedly told him, "Racist people like you deserve to suffer and die. You might as well be dead. Your career is over, just watch."
NBC News has reached out to representatives for Teigen and Rose and has not received a response. NBC News also has not verified the direct message exchanges between Costello and Teigen.
Costello wrote that he has been living with "deep, unhealed trauma" for the past seven years after the interaction with Teigen, who has nearly 50 million followers combined between Twitter and Instagram.
"So many nights I stayed awake, wanting to kill myself," he wrote. "I didn't see the point of living. There was no way I can ever escape from being the target of the powerful elites in Hollywood, who actually do have powers to close doors with a single text."
He added that just last week he wrote personal letters to friends and family while contemplating taking his life because he "could not escape the false narrative that Chrissy Teigen, Monica Rose, and their friends believed in."
"As a result of what Chrissy Teigen did to me in 2014, I am not okay," he wrote. "I may never be okay, but today I am choosing to speak my truth."
Costello's accusations about Teigen's online behavior follow revelations last month by model and TV personality Courtney Stodden, who identifies as nonbinary, that Teigen used to send them cruel tweets when they were a teenager. Teigen told Stodden in a since-deleted tweet that Teigen wanted them to take a "dirt nap."
Teigen apologized on Twitter last month, writing that she has tried to contact Stodden privately, adding, "I’m so sorry, Courtney. I hope you can heal now knowing how deeply sorry I am."
Stodden wrote on Instagram that they accepted the public apology from Teigen, but that they have "never heard from her or her camp in private."
The latest controversy comes after Teigen herself took a three-week break from Twitter, deleting her account because of constant online trolling, before returning to the platform in April.
Teigen wrote in her Medium post on Monday that she will be stepping back from social media to spend time with her family.
"We are all more than our worst moments," she wrote. "I won’t ask for your forgiveness, only your patience and tolerance. I ask that you allow me, as I promise to allow you, to own past mistakes and be given the opportunity to seek self improvement and change."
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