The Oscar-nominated actor took to Instagram Sunday to shut down haters’ unsolicited opinions about a sheer Valentino dress she wore proudly to the Valentino Haute Couture fashion show over the weekend in Rome.
In a powerful post, Florence Pugh shared photos of herself modeling the frilly fuchsia gown, which revealed her nipples, and declared she didn’t have a “wink” of anxiety about wearing it before, during or after the event.
“Listen, I knew when I wore that incredible Valentino dress that there was no way there wouldn’t be a commentary on it. Whether it be negative or positive, we all knew what we were doing,” the “Don’t Worry Darling” star wrote.
“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. You even do it with your job titles and work emails in your bio…?”
Since emerging as one of Hollywood’s brightest new stars, Florence Pugh has never been one to back down from online scrutiny.
In May, the 26-year-old performer called the media out for spreading false dating rumors about her and her “Midsommar” co-star Will Poulter. She has also publicly dismissed criticism of her relationship with 47-year-old “Scrubs” actor Zach Braff.
“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, what’s worrying is just how vulgar some of you men can be,” she continued in Sunday’s statement.
“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 t—,’ or how I should be embarrassed by being so ‘flat chested’. I’ve lived in my body for a long time. I’m fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it.”
Toward the end of her caption, Florence Pugh explained that it’s always been her “mission in this industry to say ‘f— it and f— that’ ” when pressured to “to morph into an opinion of what’s hot or sexually attractive.” She punctuated the defiant message with an equally defiant hashtag: #freethef—nipple.
