Madonna was forced to splash out on replacement replica jewellery during the filming of her upcoming drama WE, after actress Andrea Riseborough lost a bracelet in the Mediterranean sea.
The pop superstar’s second directorial venture features flashbacks of the romance between American socialite Wallis Simpson and royal Edward VIII, who abdicated the throne in 1936 to marry the divorcee.
Madonna and her team approached jewellery company Cartier to create copies of Simpson’s extensive gem collection, which Riseborough wore during filming for her portrayal of Simpson.
But while the actress shot scenes in the South of France this summer, her prop bracelet slid off and was lost in the ocean. A source tells the publication, “We’re not sure how it happened, but a bracelet slipped off Andrea’s wrist and ended up in the Mediterranean. They got divers to try and hunt for it, but it was never recovered.”
The costume jewellery is believed to be a replica of Simpson’s onyx and diamond panther bracelet which went under the hammer at London’s Sotheby’s auction house on Tuesday. The piece sold for a staggering £4.5 million and the entire lot, all of which once belonged to Simpson and Edward VIII, brought in a total of £8 million.
