The stolen dress worn by Lupita Nyong’o to the Oscars has been returned by the thief – after they realised that the 6,000 pearls studded into the gown were fake, Sky News reports.
Worth more than £97,000, the garment was reported missing from the star’s Hollywood hotel room on Wednesday night – but has now been returned to the scene of the crime.
It is believed the robber removed two pearls from the dress and took them to LA’s Garment District, where they discovered the beads were worthless.
The criminal then contacted TMZ, a celebrity news site, to let them know that the gown had been abandoned in a hotel bathroom, scrunched up into a bin bag.
According to the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Office, the dress “greatly resembles” the one worn by the 12 Years A Slave actress to the Academy Awards last Sunday – and its authenticity is being verified.
Nyong’o collaborated with Francisco Costa to design the gown, which won plaudits from fashion critics on the red carpet.
She accessorised the outfit with three Chopard diamond rings, in what she described as her “homage to Prince”.
