Anne Hathaway has released a statement in response to speculation about her last-minute change of Oscar dress.

The house of had announced prior to Sunday's ceremony that it would be dressing the Best Supporting Actress nominee so she surprised everyone, presumably not least Valentino’s people, when she stepped out onto the Academy’s red carpet in a pale pink Prada gown.

Word had it that the Valentino dress she was due to appear in was too similar to the gothic Alexander McQueen gown that Amanda Seyfried wore – and, in a statement released to WWD by her publicist Stephen Huvane today, the actress intimates as much.

‘It came to my attention late Saturday night that there would be a dress worn to the Oscars that is remarkably similar to , and so I decided it was best for all involved to change my plans,’ it reads.

‘Though I love the dress I did wear, it was a difficult last-minute decision as I had so looked forward to wearing Valentino in honor of the deep and meaningful relationship I have enjoyed with the house and with Valentino himself.

‘I deeply regret any disappointment caused.’

Hathaway – who, of course, went on to win the Oscar – is a long-term supporter of the label and wore a bespoke Valentino design to marry Adam Shulman last year. Hence the furore. Which, actually, still doesn’t compare to the column inches devoted to her supposedly-visible nipples on the night...

Plus, see the hottest beauty looks from the red carpet at the Oscars 2013 here