Both Barbara Walters and Meryl Streep have stolen souvenirs from the White House


If you're ever invited to dinner at Meryl Streep's house, take a minute to examine her hand towels. They might be contraband.
Whether they're for diplomats, celebrities, or honorees, the lavish events hosted by the White House are apparently subject to light larceny, according to The Washington Post. Among the sticky-fingered guests? Barbara Walters and Meryl Streep. From the Post:
"One percenters are not above taking a few White House knickknacks. Television personality Barbara Walters became so notorious for swiping washroom towels that in 2012 the first family sent her a basket of tchotchkes from the residence, including a spoon. … Oscar winner Meryl Streep is also a repeat offender. Streep first 'fessed up to pocketing hand towels when she visited the White House as a Kennedy Center honoree in 2011. Three years later she was back again in the ladies' washroom... when another guest started eyeing the towels stamped with a presidential seal. 'Go ahead, take one, I already put one in my purse,' Streep told the woman, in a conversation confirmed by the actress through a spokeswoman." [The Washington Post]
While the desire to snag a souvenir from a trip to the White House is understandable, it actually could be costing taxpayers thousands of dollars to fund replacements. So, Meryl, mind buying your own hand towels in the future? — Kimberly Alters
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Iframe Code
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kimberly Alters is the news editor at TheWeek.com. She is a graduate of the Medill School of Journalism at Northwestern University.
-
How will the new tax deductions on auto loans work?
the explainer Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill Act introduced a tax deduction on auto loan interest — but eligibility for the tax break is limited
-
Is Trump actually going to prosecute Obama for 'treason'?
Today's Big Question Or is this just a distraction from the Jeffrey Epstein scandal?
-
5 best movie sequels of all time
The Week Recommends The second time is only sometimes as good as the first
-
CBS cancels Colbert's 'Late Show'
Speed Read 'The Late Show with Stephen Colbert' is ending next year
-
Shakespeare not an absent spouse, study proposes
speed read A letter fragment suggests that the Shakespeares lived together all along, says scholar Matthew Steggle
-
New Mexico to investigate death of Gene Hackman, wife
speed read The Oscar-winning actor and his wife Betsy Arakawa were found dead in their home with no signs of foul play
-
Giant schnauzer wins top prize at Westminster show
Speed Read Monty won best in show at the 149th Westminster Kennel Club dog show
-
Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar take top Grammys
Speed Read Beyoncé took home album of the year for 'Cowboy Carter' and Kendrick Lamar's diss track 'Not Like Us' won five awards
-
The Louvre is giving 'Mona Lisa' her own room
Speed Read The world's most-visited art museum is getting a major renovation
-
Honda and Nissan in merger talks
Speed Read The companies are currently Japan's second and third-biggest automakers, respectively
-
Taylor Swift wraps up record-shattering Eras tour
Speed Read The pop star finally ended her long-running tour in Vancouver, Canada