Louise Linton Swears She's Relatable, Wears SoulCycle Gear 'Every Single Day of My Life'

Louise Linton, bless her, has not done an incredible job endearing herself to the American public, a largely self-imposed conundrum that she grapples with in a profile for Elle written by Carrie Battan. “I’m just a regular girl, and I’m not perfect, but I’m trying my best,” Linton tells Elle. “Maybe I should wear that on a T-shirt and Instagram that. And then on the back it should say…‘I’m so sorry.’”

Apologies aside, Linton’s PR troubles are not behind her so much as they are entirely ongoing, as Elle wasn’t afraid to publish this brutal profile. Oh my god, there is so much here! Why is this woman allowed to give interviews?

We get a tortured explanation for her role in the infamous money sheet photo:

“I was tagging things [on Instagram] because I thought I had seen other actresses doing that, and I was like, I should do that, too. I should be more fashionable. I need to play that role; I need to be more elegant; I need to be more stylish,” Linton says breathlessly. “I look at amazing fashion icons like Jackie O and I’m like, Why can’t I wear gloves?”

And so she did—elbow-length black leather gloves, to be exact—in November, when she was photographed beside her husband holding up a fresh printing of dollar bills at the Bureau of Engraving and Printing with a wicked glint in her eyes.

“I just didn’t bother taking the gloves off because it was kind of cold in the bureau. And I didn’t expect that I would be pulled into a picture!”

We’re offered a glimpse at Linton’s spirituality:

There are many other things Linton insists make her a regular person. She loves SoulCycle, for one. “That’s temple for me,” she says, dressed in a SoulCycle beanie and leggings. “This is my uniform. I wear SoulCycle stuff every single day of my life.” She’s fond of the expression super-duper. She is “super-duper” sorry for all of the missteps in her self-presentation. She finds the idea of doing a reality TV show, which many people have floated to her in recent months, to be “super-duper” scary.

And we also are the lucky recipients of an insane quote from her husband, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin (emphasis mine):

“I think social media has made her misunderstood and she is not at all the person that has been portrayed. She has a huge heart, is sensitive, deeply compassionate, and kind. She has humility and gentleness. She’s also funny and makes people laugh.… She loves gadgets and has a bird feeder in the backyard. She reads John Stuart Mill and writes notes in the margins of her books. She’s an incredibly warm and loving person.”

You know, actually, the bird feeder bit does surprise me. For more insights into the fascinating brain of an American style icon, read the full article here.