Emily Ratajkowski defends right to go braless at protest

Photo credit: Rex
Photo credit: Rex

From Harper's BAZAAR

Emily Ratajkowski has defended herself against trolls who criticised her for not wearing a bra to a protest against Donald Trump's Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Brett Kavanaugh. At the time of the rally in October, Kavanaugh - who was at the centre of sexual assault allegations - was only a nominee and had not yet been voted in.

Ratajkowski and Amy Schumer were among 302 people who were arrested and held for demonstrating. They were later freed.

The model and actress has since voiced her annoyance that her decision not to wear a bra under her tank top that day received such airtime, over the cause that she was fighting for.

"I knew being there would be important and I knew some people would find it controversial but I never expected anyone to talk about why I wasn’t wearing a bra under my tank top," Ratajkowski told Stellar magazine.

Photo credit: Getty
Photo credit: Getty

"It was 32 degrees, I was marching through D.C. in jeans; my outfit seemed completely normal to me," she added. "And I was there making a political point. Why would people focus on what I was wearing?"

Schumer previously defended her friend against the criticism, noting that she didn't wear a bra either and no one noticed.

Photo credit: Getty
Photo credit: Getty

"People are trolling @emrata for not wearing a bra while she got arrested," wrote Schumer on Instagram. "Well for starters I wasn’t wearing a bra either,” Amy said on Instagram following the incident. “Your comments are synonymous with saying what a woman wears insights bad behaviour."

Home safe and sound with my little honey baby. People are trolling @emrata for not wearing a bra while she got arrested. Well for starters I wasn’t wearing a bra either. In the “what to wear when being detained for 4 hours on an 87 degree day after a 2 hour march” handbook. Bras aren’t recommended. Emily sacrificed herself fighting to protect women’s rights to choose what they do with their own bodies. How about we show her the same courtesy and direct some of that toxic energy to the people who deserve it. Your comments are synonymous with saying what a woman wears insights bad behavior. Have you written three furious tweets to, I don’t know maybe, someone who sexually assaulted someone? I’m gonna guess no. You reserve your rage for the victims or a beautiful woman you’re threatened by. Anyone writing “innocent until proven guilty” didn’t watch the hearings. No they wasn’t a trial. But if you actually listened to Dr. Ford and then listened to Kavanaugh you would have no doubt. That’s why it’s called a hearing. So you can hear. But you didn’t. You put on Fox News which is sheer fiction and made up your mind. She remembers it was him. He was clearly in a blackout. People saying you’re “worried for your sons” worry for your daughters who have a 1 in 3 change of being sexually assaulted. Your sons have a 4 in 100 chance of being falsely accused. Please read those numbers again. And if you’re still worried for your sons please take an on line course in math. We need to vote. We need to get our friends and family to vote. I don’t feel angry. I feel excited and ready to fight. Change is coming. And everyone telling me to lose weight. You first. 🍗🥨🥗

A post shared by @ amyschumer on Oct 6, 2018 at 9:48am PDT

Ratajkowski, who has been told on numerous occasions, often by men, what to wear, said she refuses to let such comments bother her.

"I’ve learnt to separate social media comments and trolls from real life,” she said. “And I don’t let the validating, flattering comments impress on me too much, which makes it easier to [ignore] the negative ones, as well.”

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