Florence Pugh has a few words to say to the men who feel comfortable proudly and publicly shaming women’s bodies. The actor’s figure came under scrutiny after she wore a sheer pink Valentino gown to the brand’s couture show in Rome over the weekend. In a sea of celebrities, where bralettes and micro-mini skirts were the norm, it was Pugh–or rather, more specifically, her breasts–that internet trolls felt they had the right to comment upon. What is even bleaker is that Florence knew it would happen.
“There was no way there wouldn’t be commentary on it,” said the star, who was excited to wear the diaphanous gown in the Barbiecore colour of the season. “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 fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it.”
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Pugh went on to cite the strong women she grew up around for helping her “find power in the creases of [her] body. To be loud about being comfortable”, and added that it has always been her mission to put two fingers up to anyone who expects her to change her body to conform to their idea of what’s attractive. Her lasting message? “Grow Up. Respect People.” This time around, her comment section was flooded with support from high-profile actors, such as Nicola Coughlan (“Adore you”) and Ariana DeBose (“Respect. Period”). Others, meanwhile, simply posted: “Free the nipple”.
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Oxford-born Florence, now 26, has always used her platform to speak out, spark joy and sometimes be a little bit silly. The queen of the recipe tutorial likes to fist pump and head bang her way through impromptu dance sessions, but also raise up people in her life who need a bit of extra support. She’s there when it counts and, quite frankly, the world needs more people with her energy. Pugh said she felt stunning in her Valentino gown and we couldn’t agree more.
This story was originally published on British Vogue.
