Two days after turning heads in a sheer, nipple-exposing pink Valentino gown at the Italian fashion label’s haute couture show in Rome, Florence Pugh is speaking out on the “vulgar” comments — many of which criticize her breast size — she’s received ever since.
On Sunday, the English actress took to Instagram to call out the body-shaming remarks she’s been sent from men after wearing the revealing dress to the Valentino haute couture fashion show in Rome on Friday night — “and all because of two cute little nipples,” she noted.
“Listen, I knew when I wore that incredible Valentino dress that there was no way there wouldn’t be a commentary on it,” the Black Widow star wrote. “Whether it be negative or positive, we all knew what we were doing. I was excited to wear it, not a wink of me was nervous. I wasn’t before, during or even now after.”
Pugh, 26, went on to address the flood of comments she’s received in response to her daring look.
“What’s been interesting to watch and witness is just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman’s body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see,” she wrote. “You even do it with your job titles and work emails in your bio?
“It isn’t the first time and certainly won’t be the last time a woman will hear what’s wrong with her body by a crowd of strangers,” the Oscar-nominated star continued. “What’s worrying is just how vulgar some of you men can be. Thankfully, I’ve come to terms with the intricacies of my body that make me, me. I’m happy with all of the ‘flaws’ that I couldn’t bear to look at when I was 14. So many of you wanted to aggressively let me know how disappointed you were by my ‘tiny tits,’ or how I should be embarrassed by being so ‘flat chested.'”
The negative feedback hasn’t shaken the Don’t Worry Darling star’s confidence, however.
“I’ve lived in my body for a long time,” Pugh wrote. “I’m fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it. What’s more concerning is … Why are you so scared of breasts? Small? Large? Left? Right? Only one? Maybe none? What. Is. So. Terrifying. It makes me wonder what happened to you to be so content on being so loudly upset by the size of my boobs and body?
“I’m very grateful that I grew up in a household with very strong, powerful, curvy women,” she added. “We were raised to find power in the creases of our body. To be loud about being comfortable. It has always been my mission in this industry to say ‘f*** it and f*** that’ whenever anyone expects my body to morph into an opinion of what’s hot or sexually attractive.”
A defiant Pugh didn’t mince her words as she called on men to “grow up” and stop being “loudly abusive” about women and their bodies.
I wore that dress because I know. If being loudly abusive towards women publicly in 2022 is so easy for you, then the answer is that it is you who doesn’t know. Grow up. Respect people. Respect bodies. Respect all women. Respect humans. Life will get a whole lot easier, I promise.”
Pugh’s post included a shot of her with her fingers covering her nipples “for those who feel more comfortable with that inch of darker skin to be covered.” She also added the hashtag #F***ingFreeTheF***ingNipple.”
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