NOTE: This article is potentially NSFW and contains foul language and some nudity.
Emily Ratajkowski has gained a lot of attention for being a proud feminist and an advocate for the expression of female sexuality. The 25 year-old is also one of three models who danced topless with Robin Thicke in the music video for “Blurred Lines.”
Now she’s making headlines for an interview she gave to Harper’s Bazaar with feminist author Naomi Wolf. In the spread, where she appears completely naked, the model-turned-actress bashes the haters for criticizing her and all women for taking nude selfies.
She noted that society reacts to people’s bodies in different ways.
“When Lena Dunham takes her clothes off, she gets flack, but it’s also considered brave; when Justin Bieber takes his shirt off, he’s a grown-up… But when a woman who is sexual takes off her top, it plays into something… There is a distinction in the reaction between, for example, Kim [Kardashian] taking off her shirt and Lena [Dunham]. It’s not fair to either of them.”
Ratajkowski adds every picture of her attracts sexually explicit comments, regardless of what it depicts. She also admits that some of her posts are more purposeful and political than others.
READ MORE: Kim Kardashian, Emily Ratajkowski post topless selfie, set Internet on fire
Remember that topless selfie she took with Kim Kardashian back in late March? That was “very intentioned, very direct.”
The duo wanted to show it’s their prerogative to strip down if they want to.
Kardashian even tackled the topic on her blog: “I am empowered by my body. I am empowered by my sexuality. I am empowered by feeling comfortable in my skin… It’s 2016. The body-shaming and slut-shaming — it’s like, enough is enough. I will not live my life dictated by the issues you have with my sexuality. You be you and let me be me.”
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But many people found the image offensive.
British TV personality Piers Morgan famously announced “feminism is dead” after the selfie was posted to the internet. He also suggested that women post sexual photos on social media to make money.
What ensued was a war of words between Ratajkowski, Kardashian and Morgan.
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Speaking to Harper’s Bazaar, Ratajkowski addressed the controversy in more detail.
“There was this uproar, especially from Piers Morgan, who wrote this whole thing about “she’s a mother, she’s 35, it’s ridiculous…She’s too old and she’s a mother, and we’ve given her enough attention, like she needs to stop doing this.” That made me really angry. She wrote a few tweets responding to all the hate she was getting from this post, and then Piers said Kanye [West] had written those tweets, which also infuriated me to no end.”
A similar war of words happened on Thursday after Morgan took to Twitter to shame the actress for her bare-all interview and photo shoot.
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In the end Ratajkowski says she doesn’t care what the haters, including Morgan, have to say; others shouldn’t either.
“A selfie is a sort of interesting way to reclaim the gaze, right? You’re looking at yourself and taking a photo while looking at everyone. But also who cares?”
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