Meryl Streep is riding high. She just scored her third Oscar (her first in more than two decades). Her advocacy for a Women’s History Museum in Washington is gathering steam. She’s one of the few actresses past a “certain age” who can carry a movie. She’s gorgeous. She’s happily married. And she always gets the best press. Well, not anymore. I think this is the first tabloid story I’ve ever read about Meryl, and it’s just awful. The Enquirer spoke to one of Meryl’s neighbors in Connecticut, and this lady absolutely LOATHES Meryl. Apparently, Meryl is just a terrible person, and a terrible neighbor. Do you believe that?
Meryl Streep’s neighbors, in the small town of Salisbury, Connecticut, say Meryl’s nickname should be “The Nasty Lady.”
“We do call her the ‘nasty lady’ because it fits,” said one person who lives near the 62-year-old star. “People see her on TV at the Academy Awards gushing about her latest Oscar, but she’s two-faced when it comes to interacting with the locals here. She doesn’t even want to know your name!”
“I went to grammar school with Meryl’s daughter Grace, and we all thought it was really cool that her mom was famous. One day, after school, Meryl came on the playground to pick her up, but she was just mean to people! At first she wouldn’t talk to the other moms. Than, when she did, she snapped at them. Sometimes the other kids would ask Grace, ‘Why is your mom so mean”’ And you could tell she didn’t know what to say.”
Meryl has also been criticized for not sharing her good fortune locally and making life difficult for her neighbors.
“She lives on a very big multi-million-dollar property in the area, but she doesn’t give back,” said the neighbor. “In fact, she angered the locals when she shut off a road in the middle of town to rebuild a dam in front of her house. It was closed off for a long time and people around here were angry. But she didn’t care.”
“Meryl won’t even talk to people. You’ll see her bike through town in a flowing dress and a straw hat. She even told the local postmaster that she would not accept any mail that was addressed to ‘Meryl Streep’ – she would only accept mail addressed to Meryl Gummer, her married name.”
[From The Enquirer, print edition]
Isn’t Meryl’s real name “Mary Louise”? So wouldn’t it be Mary Louise Gummer? As for the other stuff – well, I have no trouble believing that Meryl can whip out a bitchface faster than you can say “Mamma Mia,” but I doubt she’s really a horrible neighbor or that she refuses to talk to people. She just seems… normal. Like, if she’s a bitch, she’s bitchy in a normal way, like everybody else. But mostly I think Meryl is just pretty nice. Right?!?!?
Here are some new photos of Meryl and her husband Don Gummer at last night’s Broadway premiere of Death of a Salesman (directed by Mike Nichols). I sometimes worry that Don is not interested in having his photo taken EVER.
Photos courtesy of WENN.
[gallery
Oh noes she human afterall
Neighbors? ln 30 years in Salisbury,
have you ever seen a neighbor?
Hahahaha. I love Death Becomes Her.
Nobody who can afford to live there needs any of Meryl’s millions, anyway. This story is a load of crap.
this story is a big load of nothing..OMG Meryl doesn’t want to have to be social EVERY SECOND that she is in public…maybe she had PMS one day…or menopause or just didn’t feel like talking…what a revelation. And if she refuses mail addressed to Meryl Streep then she’s going to be missing an awful lot of correspondence…must be a slow ‘news’ day at the Enquirer…
I am totally invested in wanting her to be a nice person. I have no idea why that is.
Don’s bitchface in the second picture’s priceless.
edit; I’m so glad I don’t have to stand around the playground waiting for my daughter anymore. I hated doing that.
Ha! I thought the same thing, that Don might be the difficult one.
I hated waiting around at school for my kids too. Mostly hated the forced chit chat with other mommies. I think Don looks kinda cute.
Ugh, the fake smiles, the little cliques.
*shudder*
I’m the antisocial mom who shows up at the last minute specifically to avoid chit chat with the too coiffed mom’s (I don’t have time for that sh*t) or the pitch perfect moms who do EVERYTHING right and look astonished that you don’t do perfection but instead applaud imperfection.
That’s me…lil’ ole me…not a well known celeb who just wants to pick my kid up without all the hullabaloo. Streep probably acts a heck of a lot more gracious than me – some unknown antisocial mom who just wants to get her kid and disappear.
OMG these comments are such a relief…I thought I was the only one this way! I am the least perfect mom around, have forgotten the class snacks at least once, keep forgetting to send photos to put on the walls, I have three kids, 2 having issues and it’s so hard not being one of the “perfect” moms. It’s worse because even the working moms seem to be “perfect” at this school and so invested in not saying anything ever goes wrong. Plus my kids’ friends are always out of town for vacation skiing in Gstaad or whatever, when they’re here their lives are scheduled to the hilt.
Hard keeping up with the Ms. Jones’s……
ya, i could see her being a bitchface to neighbours. nobody is perfect.
LIES BLASPHEMY AGAINST MY PERFECT QUEEN MERYL!
In all seriousness though, there’s no way in my mind that Meryl could be anything but gracious and sweet… Just look at her!
Oh god. If you think about it, she’s such a great actress………..
WORD!!!
I LOVE her!! That “neighbour” is obviously the pickle faced one.
Yeah, she is a GREAT ACTRESS….
But I think you need not worry about her having fulled all of us.
Even with her talent, it would be impossible to sustain such a charade, such a ‘role playing’ of a nice, sweet woman FOR DECADES, without a single slip up.
So I believe that we are all correct in our feelings about her – she is nice, sweet, kind and caring. She is a good person, and it shows on the outside.
NE can F-off.
This would only be acceptable if her neighbor is Martha Stewart.
That would be the most awesome bitchfest of all time.lol.
I totally believe this, sadly. She is the world’s best actress, after all. How effortless it would be for her to act gracious in the limelight yet jerkface-y to the locals.
Possibly jerky locals because they keep expecting “the rich movie star” to give, give, give…”because she can afford it.
How do we know the neighbor wasn’t the bitch first? There are two sides to every story.
Agreed completely. Small communities always expect handouts from the ones in the area that have more than the majority of the ppl living there. Of course they are going to b*tch if she doesnt give back, which is so annoying i might add.
^^ this
exactly what I thought when reading this.
Me, too. She has a right to her privacy and to not be bothered all the time. People these days think just because you were in a movie they know you or something and have the right to be your friend. No…you don’t.
Yes, but at the same time, I don’t think she’s the only rich person in this town. That seems unlikely. Riches tend to stay with riches. So I don’t think there are that many people asking for a handout. And if she lives there, the people should get over being starstruck after a while. Seems more likely that one person is unfriendly, rather than the whole freakin town.
Completely of topic but will we be discussing. Clooney?
If you have ever seen “Kramer vs Kramer” she was a natural at “self absorbed bitch”. So it is not a stretch that she wasn’t acting, she was just being herself, lol.
See, I got a totally different vibe from her in Kramer V. Kramer. I thought her character was going through some serious depression and trying to right her life, not that she was a self-absorbed bitch. Mr. Kramer was the self absorbed one, who, of course, grew into a loving, involved father after she left.
Neither of those characters were saints, but she went AWOL for a year, goes through all of that custody stuff and lets the boy stay with his father, ultimately. Yeah, depressed, I’m sure. But she was also kind of a self-absorbed flake. Yes, the divorce made him a better father and a better future mate because he was able to slough off the ‘I did my job, you just whine’ attitude, but she abandoned her kid, and for a long time, too. This isn’t an Ibsen play, that’s a really terrible thing to do to a kid. ‘Where you at, la? Still finding yourself? Self-negation sucks, and I guess it would have slowed down her already dormant transformation to do all of that in plain sight of her whole family, but she wasn’t the only person in her life, and that sticks with a kid.
I thought that was the point, to make the audience question whether sex of the parent was always enough of a determining factor for deciding who gets full custody.
Honestly, during that ice cream scene I hated that ‘little shit’, too. A lot.
I can believe it. I blame it on The Devil Wears Prada. 😛
I doubt it. I’ll admit I am biased, and I do WANT to doubt it. I’ve always heard that she is quite pleasant, but a bit quirky, in real life.
About “shutting down the road”. Did Meryl do that herself? Put up the road blocks? It seems to me that the contractors she hired did that. And they are one ones who secured whatever permits were necessary to do so from the city. So maybe the neighbor needs to take her beef up with the city council.
I don’t believe the majority of this story at all because did she not just give ten grand to Viola Davis’ school and does a whole bunch of other charity work. BUT … I pretty sure if someone was being outright rude to her she would not hesitate to put a bitch in her place. She seems like she is just a normal woman who is enjoying her life and successful career.
It’s print edition of NE and they can’t figure out the _______ difference between Then and Than! Or maybe this person should have been paying attention to the teacher instead of her classmates mom!
Rant over
Nahhh, doesn’t make me think less of her. I am similar to my neighbors and I am nothing close to famous! I guess she tries to protect her privacy.
She’s a hell of an actress, though. As long as she keeps up the good work, she can be a bitch to whom she wants.
I call bullshit. She sounds normal enough to me..except for the riding around on a bike in a flowing skirt and hat LOL I would imagine as a famous person with money, you would have to distance yourself somewhat or be subjected to others constantly wanting your money or your time. I can’t even imagine how tough it would have to be to try and carve out a normal life of any kind in her situation. If her neighbors and fellow townsfolk are talking smack about her, then I would say it’s sounds more of a case of sour grapes on their part and kinda proves my point.
To me it just sounds like the locals are jealous. Just because she is famous doesn’t mean she HAS to constantly be in the spotlight. Everyone needs privacy and their home is their sanctuary. And why do the locals think she owes them anyways? Being wealthy doesn’t obligate you to share with your neighbors. Im sure Meryl has charities she works with and probably discreetly.
I wonder if this neighbor expect other wealthy people that live there to give give give or just Meryl Streep because she is famous.
her neighbors are probably douches who expect god knows what from her. meh. she’s under no obligation to be bffs with them.
These are weak examples of bitchiness.
Why does a famous person HAVE to give back to the community? It would be nice, but it shouldn’t be expected.
So what if she screens her mail? And “you’ll see her ride her bike through town in a flowing dress and straw hat.” That’s it? Oooo. Wearing a dress and hat while riding a bike is the ultimate sign of a bitch. please.
And if she stopped to talk to everyone who butted into her life, she wouldn’t get anything done. I’m not famous and I HATE talking to strangers on the street.
And shutting down a street in the middle of town for a long time is a little bitchy, but if it was necessary to make repairs to her property, then deal with it.
Sounds like someone is expecting too much of her and is desperate to make Meryl look bad.
Maybe Meryl has a cute little dog in her bike basket that she had just taken away from a sobbing girl?
I was thinking the same thing. Sounds like the biggest complaint these ‘neigbors’ have is that Meryl doesn’t chat with everyone she meets. Well please. Neither do I.
I live in a building with 2 elevator that serves 5 apartments. And I do just about anything to avoid riding with a single neighbor, and put on a bitchface if the elevator stops so any of them can get in. So what? It’s not illegal, you don’t have to like your neighbors or even be civil, for that matter, as long as you cause them no harm. So Meryl didn’t feel like talking to the other moms. So what?
(I am not a Meryl fan, but I’m not a hater either)
Those people go beyond being “jealous”, they’re just self-deluded morons.
You know whats a good way to ensure that Meryl will continue to dislike her, and not make an effort to be nice?
By trash talking her to the media.
Good one. 🙂
I love her but I can see her being nice to people she wants to be nice to and disregarding those who she doesn’t care about. She seems like she is probably very straight forward and blunt and sometimes that comes off as rude and bitchy. I would be pissed about the road thing, though and I can kind of believe that happening. I hate when I have to rearrange my life so they can film a movie seen near where I live. And usually it is just for a day. However, if the dam was in danger of breaking and it was a structual issue and not a cosmetic one, I think the neighbor is completely in the wrong for feeling angry.
I had to go back and re-read the article part, because the way I read it made it seem like the 62 yr old also went to school with her daughter..or was that just me?
You hit that one on the head, Kaiser. Why would she go by “Meryl Gummer”? Makes no sense. It’s not that I don’t believe the story, but there’s that and, also, how, in over three decades, there aren’t other stories to substantiate this?
Really. This story could be true, but the assumption that ladies change both their first and last names upon marriage casts some doubt on her claims. Gotta do your research before you bitch on the record. Heed Hilary’s warning: Totally do your research–for realsies–before you speak about others in public.
If I remember correctly, she once said that traditionally in her family, the oldest girl is named Mary and then they get a nickname stemming from the “Mary” and whatever their middle name is. I think her daughter Mamie is the “Mary” of her daughters. And I saw Meryl’s picture in her high school yearbook (or perhaps college) when she did an interview and she was already “Meryl” back then. As for the mail, maybe she thinks that if it’s addressed to “Meryl Streep” that it’s from some kind of solicitor and that only the mail addressed to “Meryl Gummer” is the legitimate mail. It’s quite possible that she changed her name legally to Meryl Gummer and just kept her maiden name professionally. Plenty of women do that.
That’s interesting about her daughter. My (almost) two year old is named Mary and we call her “Mamie” because that is how she pronounces her name. I wonder what the origin of her daughter’s nickname is.
Unless she has changed in the last 25 years, Meryl happens to be a truly nice and generous person. I didn’t realize who she was until after the fact, but she helped me up the stairs when I was struggling with my bike and too many grocery bags in Soho where we both lived.
THAT is an awesome story! You should be the neighbor talking to the press.
Not giving back to the community = not inviting her neighbors to fancy parties so they can brag about it to their non-celeb endowed friends.
Hahaha yes. ^^This.
Exactly!
Grace was in “grammar school” about 20 years ago! Seriously… that’s what you got? Great story.
Sounds like someone has a chip on her shoulder. A big, jealous chip.
I don’t understand, she is suppose to be friends with these people just because they are neighbors…. Heck, I’ve lived in my place for almost 7 years and I couldn’t even tell ya the names of and wouldn’t know any of my neighbors if they were standing next to me. That doesn’t make me a bad person. I would blame her for being somewhat guarded around people she doesn’t know.
Ditto! Well, I avoid learning my neighbors’ names. Currently I am at a student residence and it’s like… “oh the girl from room B, the guy from room E”. Do they have names? I guess. But do I care to learn them? nope, lol
She and her family frequent my friend’s restaurant a few towns over and Meryl has never been anything but lovely. She prefers to be left alone (who wouldn’t?) and tips generously. I think this is an overblown story.
aww…. that’s nice to hear.
sounds so normal. I’m am keeping my previous opion that Meryl Streep is an awesome, nice, down to earth lady.
i dont care to know or talk to my neighbors either. only difference is i dont get shit about it bc im not meryl streep. and ps neighbors seem just fine not talking either. bc again im not meryl streep
I think this is a case of Meryl wanting to keep to herself. You don’t have to be involved in your community if you don’t want to. You don’t have to be extroverted because it would make other people feel better.
So suck it neighbors! Meryl rules!
I think her husband is just unimpressed with showbiz.
Come on peeps, one look into those steely eyes and it’s clear she’s a high-toned-bitch. No one can play a bitch as well as she and not have a good deal of that bitchery inherently. She should be nicer to the neighbs, but whatever. I kiss the ground she rides that bike on. Have you not seen Doubt?
Meryl has been a known actress for nearly 35 years. If this story was true we would have heard about it LONG ago. Personally I loved the “long flowing dress and straw hat on a bike” comment. Please.
I live in a high-rise condo. I pretty much ignore my neighbors. I guess I’m a bitch too. Just because you live next to someone doesn’t mean that you have to be friends. Some people like privacy.
As for “giving back”, why should she? Are being famous and having an open wallet a synonymous? The woman pays taxes, what more does the community think that it is due?
I don’t believe this story, but I think it’s different when you share walls with people.
I pretty much ignored my neighbors when I lived in my house too.
I’m with you though and think that this story is BS. Meryl rocks and seems like she’d be a good neighbor (who minds her own business no-less).
This reminds me of those stories from family members of celebs who are living under a bridge, expecting a handout (Madonna’s brother, for ex.) Get. Over.It…and do something for yourself, lazy bum.
Considering where she lives in CT, she’s probably surrounded by wealthy bitchy people who a)would not speak to a tabloid about her and b)can do bitch well all by themselves. This is a load of horseshit.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all. There are lots of horrible neighbors in some of the best neighborhoods in Connecticut.
I live in Salisbury-right down the road from her property. I am friends with the caretaker of the estate and work with his wife. This is CRAP! Meryl is, well, was, when her children were younger, actually very involved in the town, politics, school board, etc. She is very gracious, waits in line to vote, etc. People here actually say the opposite-she is lovely in every way.
Out of interest .. Do people call her Meryl Streep or her husband’s name Gummer in that community?
As to the whether people should know their neighbours or not – I think it’s a shame when people don’t know their neighbours. Know them well enough for help (I mean feeding the cat if you do a night away or to notice any oddness on your land, that sort of thing) and to pass the time of day with, but not too well. This is my policy.
Hi Alita-
She is known here as Meryl Streep. And to Sumodo1 below, while Salisbury is rural, there are sections which are almost cosmopolitan. 🙂
There are many celebs here, and the only one whom I have ever heard anything bad about is Edward Herrman’s wife, who is said to be very demanding.
OT-I did not know that EH lived here and I was in the bank one day and heard this melodious and very familiar voice ask for a roll of quarters. I thought to myself, that sounds just like Rory Gilmore’s grandfather! But, what would Rory Gilmore’s grandfather be doing in Salisbury Bank and Trust asking for a roll of quarters?!? Sure enough, I looked up and it WAS Rory Gilmore’s grandfather! He lives right in town.
Thanks Soxfan! Just one of those little things that stuck out when I read the article. Have to admit, if I had to use either ‘Streep’ or ‘Gummer,’ no matter how much I loved my husband I’d be rocking the maiden name!
@ Soxfan:
Yes, I can see where Richard Gilmore’s wife, Emily, can be quite the pain at times 😉
Salisbury, CT is one of those towns where your nearest neighbor is 50-60 acres away. It’s not “borrow-a-cup-of-sugar” suburbia, it’s rural. Westport, where Martha Stewart had “Turkey Hill Farm,” is cramped in comparison. I lived all over CT, so I know. Switching gears, in Ocala, FL where I live now, John Travolta and his family are out and about like regular folks and boy, are they generous to charities. Our only pet peeve: John sometimes works late at night on his 707 and takes it out for a spin. It’s noisy at 11 pm, but who cares it’s JT.
Just to chime in I worked with a lady who would see her at their husband’s office building regularly and she said she was always friendly in the elevator and whatnot. Being Meryl Streep in a small town must suck hard, it’s a no win for her unless she pays for everything, says hello to everyone she meets and opens every supermarket I guess. The bit about the bicycle cracked me up too – how dare she!
Connecticut is known for being one of the wealthiest, uppity states there are. Especially being it is so close to Manhattan. Alot of people work in Manhattan and live in Connecticut (New England) I am sure there are a lot of other neighbors who think she is very nice. There are always a few bad apples.
BS. This neighbor sounds jealous and petty, and has probably always wanted a piece of the fame and fortune. Meryl probably declined to be her BFF and give money to everything asked of her, so this neighbor got in a huff and bad mouthed her. It’s so junior high.
If I had a neighbor like this, I wouldn’t want anything to do with them either!
The property sounds large, I would assume it’s not right in town. Which makes me wonder why a road in the “middle of town” would be shut down to fix something on that property. And really, I doubt a private citizen could shut down the main road, undoubtedly it was the town or county who did that. The neighbor just sounds bitter, and a little nuts.
My guess is that this neighbor has a beef with MS because she didn’t donate/participate/contribute to the neighbor’s charity/fundraiser/organization/etc.
The thing with the dam and the road, that would be the contractors and the city.
Just because every single person out there doesn’t love you doesn’t make you a bitch.
I wouldnt blame her if she wanted to keep distance between herself & the neighbors because it must be hard to maintain privacy when you are that famous.
To add to the nice Meryl stories above, a close friend of mine once got his jeep stuck in the mud near the beach. A couple of folks stopped to push him out–one was her!
Sometimes, no matter what your financial status, you just don’t want to get to know your neighbors – maybe this woman came over to meryls to borrow things one time too often or something.
I think people have this idea of how a celebrity should be based on the celeb’s image and also on the fan’s expectations. If the celeb isn’t like they imagined, some fans take it really hard and they actually get angry at the celeb.
Comedians are a great example. They don’t crack jokes 24/7. They have bad days, bad moods, and they aren’t always “on”. Yet when people meet them, they expect them to be the funny and cheerful characters they’ve seen on TV or in the movie theater. If they aren’t, the fan walks away thinking “what an assh*le” when really the comedian was just being themselves.
Of course there ARE actors with major ego issues who treat people as sub-human. Those celebs are repulsive and need to be called out on their behavior. But this story about Meryl to me seems more like unmet expectations by her neighbors.
oh yes, i couldnt deal with that “tell me a joke” when you just want to get a pizza. or even worse being a singer an being constantly asked to sing.
I worked for Hedge Funds and Investment Management Companies that had offices in Manhattan and in several of the cities/towns in CT. That state oooozed money because the tax benefits are very good for the very rich but I digress. The CEO of the first company I worked for five years, had a house in Old Saybrook, Stamford and Greenwich (Greenwich is “Green” because all the money is concentrated there) and bought his mom one in Salisbury, CT. His mom and Meryl were friends and she never had one bad word to say about the woman. I think this story is full of shit.
Doesn’t sound like mega bitchiness but rather someone who values her privacy.
Get a grip people!
imagine being incredibly famous and people wanting to talk to you and do small chat with you all the time…must be exhausting. Maybe she just got tired of it. I think she’s a good person – good actors are in touch with their emotions and it may be overwhelming to deal with people who always feel like they ‘know’ you because of your work. I get it. Maybe I’d be that way too, but I’m sure in a social context she makes an effort…who knows. All I can say is god bless her for her acting skills – she’s given many hours of joy seeing her embody complex characters on screen. Despite the age, and then context of the film, I always find her incredibly refreshing! Go MS, you’re the sh*t.
I adore her so I am a bit biased. But I see nothing wrong with not wanting to be best buddies with your neighbors, just because someone lives in close proximity doesn’t mean you must befriend them. Esp if you are a celebrity and you always have to worry about some douchy a-hole selling every conversation to a tabloid.
shes moved away to get from all the attention, wouldnt you be angry if you had every friggin annoying neighbour asking for your autograph, silly bitches, meryl deserves her privacy
I had the pleasure and honour of meeting her last month (at the BAFTAs) and she was the classiest, kindest, nicest lady I ever met. I told her I was a huge fan and complimented her (because what do you say to Meryl Streep?!) and she held my hand for a bit and said “Thank you so much, dear.” And then apologised for having to rush. I was kind of in her way so she had every reason to snap at me if she wanted to/were a bitch, but she actually went out of her way to be nice. So I just can’t believe any of this!
The older I get the more bad experiences I have had with rude, snoopy, bossy and needy neighbors. So now I don’t even say “hi” to most of my neighbors. I have had a handful of neighbors who, because we’ve been “friends”, have totally taken advantage of me. The smart thing to do, IMO, is to just not get to know them in the first place–especially if you are someone self sufficient enough that you would never NEED a neighbor for help with anything like a fallen tree or stuck car, borrowing a ladder, etc.
Because a neighbor is not someone you can “break up” with and never see again without incurring the huge expense of moving, it’s easier to just keep them at a distance to begin with. Maybe Meryl has been burned by some odd ducks and now just wants to keep her social life and her home life separate. I totally understand if she does.
i can totes see her being the devil that wears prada irl.
This is crap. One disgruntled nutty hillbillie making claims. MS has a great rep for being gracious and friendly.
She doesn’t need to “give back” in Salisbury – it is an extremely well off community. She certainly does give a great deal of her money away to worthy causes:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/29/meryl-streep-charity_n_1311727.html
i dont know for me its pretty normal to hate neighbors. all the people i know at least hate one neighbor.
i get along with most neighbors where i live but across the street is the house of an old witch who hates everybody and everybody hates her. the kind of woman who will sue you because one of your trees drops apples in her garden.
so even if its true, no big deal for me.
oh and nice to know how a bitch looks like: long flowing dress and straw hat on a bike.
I also know someone who lives near her and she has nothing but nice things to say about Meryl. And yes, when Grace was in school, Meryl was actively involved in school activities. This is just a woman who wants her privacy. And dam repairs are important – roads can flood out if dams aren’t repaired.
And keep in mind, this is ONE person saying this. One fairly young person who was undoubtedly paid for her “story.”
I’m not invested in believing in Saint Meryl but given that this is all coming from ONE person, and it’s the only negative thing that’s ever been written about her in this site’s memory, and it comes off the back of the Oscars… weeeeell, my Spidey-sense says “shrewish local lady wanted to be bestest friends with Meryl Streep and is pissed that Meryl was merely politely disinterested in her”.
Probably tried to get Meryl to invest in her cupcake cafe or to act in their local theatre group, and yet no matter how vigorously she leaflets or how often she knocks, that Oscar-winning bitch never comes to the door…
I wish there could be a follow-up story entitled, “Residents wish Local Lady would stop trying to get them to agree with her about what a raging bitch Meryl Streep is”.
Weren’t people just praising her to the high heavens for those big donations she was making?
I could believe this, but only because I’ve never heard anything to the contrary. I think one of the reasons I never liked her was because she looked so smug and the media has been forcing this “regular woman” label on her because she’s aging naturally.
I know this neighbor and she is a very nasty person. Meryl speaks to everybody and is kind and gracious. But it is true she does not speak to this neighbor but then again no one does. She is not liked in the community.
Those really are some weak reasons for being a bad neighbor. I think if the person interviewed spent a week living in the condo under chris brown, they would change their definition of a “bad neighbor”.
She plays the bitch role too well to not be a bitch in real life.
Also, a colleague of mine taught her how to row for her movie The River Wild. He said she was one of his best students and gracious, always.
And @Team Six, hi neighbor!!
I sort of met Meryl years ago when she was shooting a movie in Florida. She didn’t sign autographs, but was kind and gracious to the crowd of people in the neighborhood where they were filming. She at least acknowledged fans and thanked me when I told her that after watching them film one small scene for HOURS, with them doing the same activity over and over again, how much I admired her work and what goes on behind the scenes. I thought she was quite kind and gracious to fans ogling over her while filming – the perfect place to be a bitch…..and she wasn’t.
My secretary’s son dated Grace for a long time and she said that Meryl was wonderfully sweet. My secretary is 100% Staten Island – Hawaiian shirts, smoker teeth and a big heart. She’s the sweetest lady but she is definitely a Staten Island Hick. If Meryl were a bitch, I think she prob would have put the kibosh on that situation. This story is total bullshit.
“She doesn’t even want to know your name!”
This, to me, says it all. The neighbor is pissed that Meryl doesn’t invite her over for tea and gossip. Something tells me that Meryl is a very busy person and has better things to do with her time than impress the neighbors. I bet this lady is just mad that she can’t brag to the women in her social circle that she has inside info on Meryl. She already name-dropped attending school with Grace. She sounds like a real gem. I wouldn’t want her anywhere near me either.
“She lives on a very big multi-million-dollar property in the area, but she doesn’t give back.”
Pretty sure she pays a good chunk in property taxes. What does this woman want? A Streep-sponsored Little League team?
“In fact, she angered the locals when she shut off a road in the middle of town to rebuild a dam in front of her house.”
Yes, I’m sure Meryl put on an orange vest and personally closed off the road and redirected traffic. Hello lady, if you had a problem with this, your beef was with the general contractor. Meryl probably wasn’t even at her house during this time and had no idea there was an issue.
Sheesh. The mega-bitch is definitely the snotty, social-climber neighbor! I know way too many rich trophy wives who spend their time tearing down anyone who doesn’t cater to their every whim. This lady would fit right in with them.
Meryl would rock in an orange vest and hard hat. All walking around with a megaphone and clipboard, keeping everyone in line.
Sounds like the neighbor is jealous. And even if this were true, seriously getting to know your neighbors is over-rated!
Yeah, in the whole community they went and sniffed out the one person who had a beef. Please. I don’t believe a word of this. I’m sure Meryl has a nose for people who just want to use her and can put those people off. Well, good for her. Doesn’t change my opinion of her one bit. A classy lady with enormous talent.
Or maybe the neighbor is a terrible person and neighbor-two sides to every story.
Sounds like a feud!
What kind of person would complain about a project that would stop flooding, right there tells me all I need to know. Meryl’s never been one who let people bother her in public, she’s polite but she won’t let fans bother her and her family when she’s out in public, especially eating. She’s blunt but nice, “I’m not working now, I’m eating with my guests”. I don’t blame her either. The neighbor sounds so frustrated in her attempts to worm a way into a famous person’s life, it didn’t work and now she’s bitter as hell. Nice to see people who know Meryl validate she’s as nice as she seems to be.
Everybody on the planet can be a bitch at some point even men. I’m sure she does show that bitch face at times. Even rich famous oscar winning movie stars have stress in their lives and will this will manifest in bitchdom. It happens to the best of us unfortunately.
I’ve got nothing for this post. Sadly Meryl is NOT a friend of a friend…but if she was I’d drop our mutual friend in a hot minute to do the Empress of Salisbury’s bidding. Playground pickup? Done. Tar and feather the snarky locals? As you wish m’lady.
My theory–this neighbor has an axe to grind. I don’t believe that Meryl is just “mean.” I’m sure this neighbor wanted Meryl to be her best friend so she can brag about it, and Meryl refused to play along. People act REALLY strange around celebs sometimes. As an LA resident, I have seen it in action. It’s hard to believe that Meryl–someone who has such a good reputation–is secretly nasty, and JUST now, it’s coming out. Sounds like BS.
This is complete bullshit!Everyone who has ever worked with Meryl or interviewed her has said that she’s a wonderful person.She gives money to charities all the time,she’s a very generous woman.If she was really that much of a bitch,we would have heard about it before now.Everyone loves Meryl because she’s a very kind,generous,warm,and all around lovely person.
I am really enjoying how antisocial everyone is!
I used to try to bake cookies for new neighbors and organize block parties and it NEVER paid off. We had neighbors smash our car and drive away, neighbors do nothing while their sweet child threw SAND in my daughter’s EYES, neighbors whose son chased my son around a bush until he bit him, neighbors who were drug dealers, a whore across the street who left her window open – and this was all on a little road in a middle class suburb! I just stopped dealing with all of it.
“I think the people are just exaggerating for a bit. I mean like what the blogger said if she was bitchy then she was bitchy in a normal way like everyone of us is. and if a famous actor doesn’t want to talk to you then it’s her way of isolating her personal life… guess people are just ruining her reputation… I agree about having 2 sides of a story so and the theory of expecting-the-rich-movie-star-to give-give-give-because-she-can-afford-it thing I mean on the contrary if she really hasn’t been giving away her money then what does this statements says to you.”
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rogerfriedman/2012/02/29/meryl-streep-has-been-giving-away-millions-in-secret-for-years/
she’s been giving away lots of money without the aid of the limelight always being around the corner so if you asked me the donations where heartily given and not just to polish her reputation.
She used to come into the restaurant I work in when she visited her daughter at Northwestern University in Evanston Il.
She was normal, quiet, but normal. Typical mom visiting her daughter.
We all liked her!
That being said, some people just can bring out the bitch in anyone!!!
The neighbor might be one of those people!
My college roommate went to school and was in plays with Grace. While she and Grace weren’t necessarily friends, she said that Meryl used to direct the plays and was super nice and wonderful. I’ll believe my best friend over jealous neighbors who want their 15 minutes (and payday) any day.
she lives there since so many years and SUDDENLY one neighbor says she is a bitch?
sure…………
i think i read more or less each and every article i could find about meryl in the net and there was nevery anybody who said something bad about her.
so – no i dont belive it.
One summer many years ago I worked as a nanny in a home directly across the street from Meryl’s home in Brentood Ca. At times we would bump into her & her kids at activities/classes etc.
When we saw her around the community she was always a gracious lady, said/nodded hello if I/we saw her at the grocery store library etc.
She was right to steer clear of this nasty little woman who year later is selling a non story to the press.
At times it’s hard to find time for all the people we already have in our busy lives. I understand why celebs have to be even more selective of who they allow into their circle and admire her focus on spending her precious time/energy on raising her family.
I agree completely with “Oxa” (see below).
It is so easy to see through this story. The nasty and bitter woman trying to cast aspersions on a gracious Meryl is beyond transparent! She lays this transparency out for all to see. Let’s start with the first premise behind her complaint. The woman says point blank she feels entitled to Meryl’s time and attention by virtue of seeing her out and about, simply because Meryl is, as she puts it, “a famous person.” That is ridiculous. Then she goes on to attack her for living in a nice house. Sorry but Meryl has earned that and she does give back! The nasty complainer seems to think Meryl should be trying to please her alone. Then the author finds fault in the fact that Meryl does not want to intrude on her private life by way of incoming mail addressed to her professional name. That is both A) her own private business and B) a sign that she has a healthy respect for her family and for the sanctity of having a private life.
No, it appears that Meryl is not the nasty neighbor, but rather a gracious person simply deflecting the intrusions to her time and privacy, with dignity and respect. This article fails to show any evidence that Meryl is anything other than a gracious neighbor to all those who are truly friendly, and who are perhaps more interested in her work than her fame, or who are interested in connecting on the basis of shared interests rather than a shared zip code, and not simply seeking to rub elbows with fame.
It’s a shame that any outlet would even pick up the “story.” Either way, we should all be aware of stories like these. They show a lot more about those neighbors, the media, and their shared disregard for human dignity, privacy, and respect, than they do about the people who come under scrutiny simply for setting healthy boundaries around protecting themselves and their families.
One summer many years ago I worked as a nanny in a home directly across the street from Meryl’s home in Brentood Ca. At times we would bump into her & her kids at activities/classes etc.
When we saw her around the community she was always a gracious lady, said/nodded hello if I/we saw her at the grocery store library etc.
She was right to steer clear of this nasty little woman who year later is selling a non story to the press.
At times it’s hard to find time for all the people we already have in our busy lives. I understand why celebs have to be even more selective of who they allow into their circle and admire her focus on spending her precious time/energy on raising her family.
She probably doesn’t trust people because she thinks they may want to be friends only to gossip to the tabloids. She and her husband make a nice couple.
In that last pic Don looks like he’s about to pull out a gun and cap a bitch xD
Her botox work is perfect just saying!
People can be so transparent. This unnamed “source” just wants to be meryl’s bestie, and wants meryl to give her money. Either that or this “story” with no sources is bs.
BTW, who the F calls it “grammar school,” esp. when referring to their supposed years w/her daughter…that comment dates itself… sounds like a jealous narcissistic neighbor or other person
She sounds just like a pretty typical person from the rich end of Connecticut. Not hating – I’m from CT, too – we aren’t too terribly friendly, IMO.
I live one town over from Salisbury and have run into Meryl a handful of times over the years – once she admired my newborn baby when we were both standing in line at the library (yes, she takes books out of the library!) She was always gracious, and I believe she is mostly admired and appreciated.
One note about it being a rich community – that is true, but there is a lot of poverty too – the people who work for the landscapers and the schools (and the libraries) are not rich. There are nonprofits there needing support just like any other (a domestic violence agency, a mental health agency, programs for kids in the school, etc) and she is as generous as anyone.
I’m sure she’s a good enough neighbor. I think that people expect too much time. I know I can’t even run to the mail box without someone wanting to yap at me about nothing. Most people, when they’re at home, want to be left alone.
I wonder how much this neighbour was paid to write such a load of rubbish and slander. Everybody adores Meryl Streep, so I find it hard to believe this one bitchy neighbour over everybody else.
Meryl isn’t a bitch she’s very nice .!!!!!!!! Meryl is the nicest ever !!! And the neighbours are jealous !!! And I think he or she is paid to say this!!and it’s very stupid !!!! Meryl is soooooo nice !!
Meryl Streep’s daughter goes to college with my son, and every year she gives HUGE amounts of money to the college – money that makes it possible for a kid like my son, a middle-class kid, to be able to go there, because of the endowments given as scholarships.
Thank you, Meryl. I would probably not want to hang with the snobs in Salisbury, CT either. All of the people in that area are rich!
im not being funny but if meryl ever got hold of this it wouldnt be hard for her to figure out who wrote it if they went to school with her daughter and its a small place! this person didnt think this through properly they saw the money and that was it !
you cannot think of meryl as a celebrity in certain situation because you end up with articles like this.However this woman has been in the public eye for over 30 years every move she makes would have been jotted down and noted ready for another story. i often go to my little sisters school to pick her up and i don’t talk to the other parents or relatives but lets face it how many parents actually have conversations on the school playground majority of parents pick up their child and go home and go about their normal private life. i dont understand why people think that just because meryl is in the public eye they have the right to approach her and get all bitchy if she does something wrong. lets face it yes she is a celebrity but first and for most she is a human being with her own life and her own family. everything people do such as go to the library or ride a bike meryl does too. just because she is a celeb doesn’t mean she isn’t entitled to a private life like everyone else.
I was in a bar once in San Francisco and Ms. Diva Gummer was there. Someone made the big mistake of asking her if she was Meryl Streep. Not a friendly lady but I do not begrudge someone their privacy. I think its goofy to ask someone famous if they are famous.
I saw Judd Nelson with his mother at a fair in Maine a few years ago, 1990 maybe, and Judd was as nice as he could be. He and his mother are class acts. My daughter was a huge fan of Judd’s and he was very nice about her wanting an autograph-she was only 12 at the time.
Who cares if Eleonora is a bitch?!good for her!she is the most sublime actress
alive! I want her! Chany Catala