Tim Gunn reveals some of the shady things in the Project Runway contestants' contracts

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Although it was widely reported at the time that Jay McCarroll, the first winner of Project Runway, turned down the $100,000 grand prize, he said he wasn't allowed to get into the specifics of why, saying only that the prize came with too many contractual obligations. In this recent interview, former Project Runway mentor Tim Gunn reveals that the contract the Weinstein company asked Jay to sign after he won stipulated that any money he made from that point on, 15% would go to Miramax.


When the show was renewed for a second season, Tim said he would not continue as the mentor based on the 15% stipulation the winner had to sign in order to receive the prize. Miramax said that going forward, the prize contract would not contain that condition.

During season 13, Tim said that he didn't want Alexander Knox to be a contestant because he hadn't finished design school yet. As he put it, "If you win, what are you going to do? Go back and be a senior?" Alexander promised that he would finish school regardless of the outcome of S13. After the season was over, he told Tim that he didn't know what to do for his senior thesis. Tim suggested he use some of the designs he made on Project Runway and take them further. Alexander said he couldn't do that because the Project Runway contract stated that the Weinstein company owned the designs made on the show.

Tim went home and wrote a letter to Weinstein, his lawyer, his agent, showrunner Sara Rea, and Lifetime asking if this was true or if was a misunderstanding. Harvey's right hand person confirmed that it was true. Tim wrote back to say he was quitting the show. He said he was very polite about it and was not accusatory or rude. Their response was to ask, "How dare you tell us how to operate the show?" He said he wasn't telling them how to run the show, just that he wouldn't be returning.

Weeks of negotiating followed, but Tim's lawyer warned him that nothing would come of it. In the end, Weinstein agreed to change the contracts going forward. Tim said he wanted the new terms made retroactive for the first 13 seasons. They shockingly agreed to these terms so Tim returned to the show and filmed S14.

After S14, Tim did a spinoff called Project Runway: Junior. Some Project Runway alumni were brought onto the show as mentors. While they were filming, Tim asked them how they felt when the Weinstein company notified them that the intellectual property (designs) they created on the show belonged to them again. They had no idea what he was talking about because they had not received any notifications about this. Tim asked Weinstein's right hand person (who happened to be on set that day) to explain this. She said, "Oh, the letters are going out this week," but Tim knew she was lying.

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