Natalie Portman recently spoke about what she perceived to be double-standards in the entertainment industry. After she cited one early 2000s star as an example, Jessica Simpson accused Natalie of slut-shaming her . Now, Natalie is clarifying her words — and apologizing. After seeing Jessica Simpson’s response, Natalie Portman replied on Instagram. “Thank you for your words,” Natalie begins. That is a very good way to start. Natalie continues: “I completely agree with you.” Both women agree “that a woman should be allowed to dress however she likes and behave however she likes and not be judged.” Natalie explains that she should have been more clear about her meaning. “I only meant to say I was confused,” Natalie writes. She says this “as a girl coming of age in the public eye around the same time.” The late ’90s and early 2000s were a pretty distinct era. Natalie explains that she was confused “by the media’s mixed messages about how girls and women were supposed to behave.” Then she makes an explicit apology. “I’m sorry for any hurt my words may have caused,” Natalie writes. Even if your words were misconstrued, it’s good to apologize anyway. “I have nothing but respect for your talent and your voice,” she affirms. Natalie writes that Jessica Simpson’s voice is one “that you use to encourage and empower women all over the globe.” That’s true. So, here’s the line that got Natalie into hot water int he first place. “I remember being a teenager,” she said. “And there was Jessica Simpson on the cover of a magazine.” She noted that Jessica was “saying ‘I’m a virgin’ while wearing a bikini.” “And,” Natalie expressed. “I was confused.” “Like, I don’t know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl,” Natalie explained. Wearing a bikini doesn’t mean that one is having sex, but it definitely is using sex appeal. Jessica Simpson posted a lengthy reply to Natalie’s words. “The industry we work in often tries to define us and box us in,” Jessica noted. “However, I was taught to be myself and honor the different ways all women express themselves,” she continued. “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 wrote. Jessica continued: “I have made it my practice to not shame other women for their choices.” That is a very good practice. So, who’s the bad guy here? No one — except perhaps for the elements within the entertainment industry that try to steamroll over women, their images, and their words. That era was a memorable one. Very sexual images of skantily clad young women were allowed — but overtly sexual statements were frowned upon. Britney Spears danced with her midriff exposed, but her song lyrics were extremely PG. “Email My Heart” is not a euphemism for sex. As Natalie was pointing out, beautiful women were expected to express ideas such as chastity and virginity even while marketing themselves through sex appeal. It’s a definite mixed message, one that uses women to please male audiences while making demands on the behavior of young women at the same time. As Jessica points out, this was often not by choice. Natalie never intended to call out or shame Jessica, just to cite her as an example. Hopefully, things are much clearer now. View Slideshow: Jessica Simpson Shows Off Plump Lips, Gets Destroyed on Instagram
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Natalie Portman to Jessica Simpson: Sorry I Slut-Shamed You!
