Meryl Streep will become the most honoured female star in Oscar history if she wins her fourth award tonight – but don’t expect to see designer Karl Lagerfeld cheering.

The Chanel legend has accused Meryl, 67, of being ‘cheap’, and claimed she demanded to be paid to wear one of his creations at the Hollywood ceremony.

Karl, 83, alleged Meryl – up for best actress in Florence Foster Jenkins – ordered a grey silk gown then wanted money to wear it.

He said he refused and added: ‘A genuine actress, but cheap also, no?’ Meryl’s aides denied the claim.

Karl Lagerfeld (left) has accused Meryl Streep (right) of being ‘cheap’, and claimed she demanded to be paid to wear one of his creations at the Hollywood ceremony

An unlikely friendship has developed between literary great Sir Salman Rushdie and Petra Khashoggi, daughter of former Tory MP Jonathan Aitken.

Although Petra, 36, is 33 years younger than Rushdie, the pair have been joined at the hip, as my picture, left, of them at the House of SpeakEasy literary quiz in Manhattan shows.

Their pair were introduced four months ago by Jonathan’s sister Maria.

An unlikely friendship has developed between literary great Sir Salman Rushdie and Petra Khashoggi (pictured together), daughter of former Tory MP Jonathan Aitken

‘Salman is good company and we see quite a bit of each other,’ Petra tells me. ‘I went to see him at the Morgan Library recently where he gave a brilliant talk.’

Petra, who was conceived during a love affair between Aitken and socialite Soraya Khashoggi, lives in a New York apartment with her businessman boyfriend.