If the last 12 months have taught us anything, it’s that we should expect the unexpected when it comes to celebrities.
That being said, we were fully unprepared for a public debate about feminism led by Jessica Simpson and Natalie Portman.
Jessica was name-checked by the ‘Black Swan’ actress when she discussed the mixed messages around female sexuality she saw when she was growing up.
“I remember being a teenager, and there was Jessica Simpson on the cover of a magazine saying ‘I’m a virgin’ while wearing a bikini, and I was confused,” Natalie told USA Today. “Like, I don’t know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl.”
Jessica responded to this in a post on her Twitter account, in which she addressed the actress directly.
“I was disappointed this morning when I read that I ‘confused’ you by wearing a bikini in a published photo taken of me when I was still a virgin in 1999,” she wrote. “As public figures, we both know our image is not totally in our control at all times, and that the industry we work in often often tries to define us and box us in.
“However, I was taught to be myself and honor the different ways all women express themselves, which is why i believed then ― and I believe now ― that being sexy in a bikini and being proud of my body are not synonymous with having sex.”
She continued: “I have always embraced being a role model to all women to let them know that they can look however they want, wear whatever they want and have sex or not have sex with whomever they want. The power lies within us as individuals.
“I have made it my practice to not shame other women for their choices. In this era of Times Up and the great work you have done for women, I encourage you to do the same.”
Fortunately, the matter has now been resolved, with Natalie reaching out to the ‘Public Affair’ singer on Instagram.
“I didn’t mean to shame you and I’m sorry for any hurt my words may have caused,” she wrote. “I have nothing but respect for your talent and your voice that you use to encourage and empower women all over the globe.”
And speaking of Jessica’s talent and voice, now that everyone’s friends again we’d love a remake of this star-studded effort, with Natalie Portman and a few other Oscar-winners…
Stunning.