Bette Midler: Lady Gaga has my blessing to take my clothes
(CBS/AP) Bette Midler may have initially had a problem with Lady Gaga copying her mermaid costume idea, but the singer and actress now claims that she'll be "thrilled" if Lady Gaga bought all her clothes. Midler, in conjunction with Julien's Auctions, is selling over 300 items from her personal collection, including outfits and movie memorabilia.
Pictures: Bette Midler
Pictures: Lady Gaga
"I think she should go for a real wheelchair and a real fishtail because these are really beautiful. They are decorated and hand-beaded," Midler said in an interview with AP, referring to her mermaid-in-a-wheelchair outfits. Earlier, she had aTwitter feud with Lady Gaga, in which she claimed the singer had stolen one of her signature looks.
"If she is interested, she can have whatever she wants because she is a very talented girl, and I love her a lot," she added.
Midler is not just selling multiple mermaid outfits and wheelchairs, but several different garments from her 40-year career during the Nov. 12 auction. "I am waiting for Gaga to get in there and grab hers," Midler said during the interview.
According to the press release, the auction includes the Valentino gown she wore to the 64th Annual Academy Awards, when she was nominated for Best Actress for her role in "For The Boys." It is expected to sell for $1,000 to $1,500.
She's also letting go of her Vegas showgirl outfit that she wore during her "The Showgirl Must Go On" performances during 2008 to 2010. It is estimated to fetch $2,000 to $3,000.
The collection will be on display to the public from Oct. 31 to Nov. 11 at Julien's Auctions, Beverly Hills in Beverly Hills, Calif.
The actress and singer said that the reason why she's selling everything now is because she doesn't want her daughter to deal with all the items after she passes away. Also, she wants others to experience the joy of owning the pieces before she passes away. Some proceeds from sales will go to the New York Restoration Project (NYRP), a non-profit organization Midler created it help restore parks, community gardens and open spaces in New York.
That doesn't mean it was easy for her to part with her belongings. The singer and actress explained that when the Julien's staff came to look through her warehouses there were a couple of things she couldn't give up. She took back the dress she wore for the red carpet for the opening of "The Rose," because "it was such a wonderful time in my life, and I was surrounded by friends, and I was so thin."
Midler claims that she can't believe she was wore some of those outfits. "You can say that about practically everything. But, I remember it all so fondly. It was a great ride. Just the best ride, just the most fun," she explained to during the interview.