Emily Ratajkowski defends herself from mother-shamers: ‘Shame on you all’

Model welcomed her first child in March

Chelsea Ritschel
New York
Monday 19 July 2021 16:00 BST
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Emily Ratajkowski calls out mom-shamers on Instagram
Emily Ratajkowski calls out mom-shamers on Instagram (AFP via Getty Images)

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Emily Ratajkowski has spoken out against parent-shamers, with the model acknowledging that no one deserves to be told they’re a “sh***y mother”.

Ratajkowski, who welcomed her first child, son Sylvester Apollo Bear, with husband Sebastian Bear-McClard on 8 March, opened up about the shaming she has faced on social media on Instagram on Friday.

In a post shared to her Stories, which has since expired but was captured with screenshots, the 30-year-old reflected on some of the past bullying targeted at Britney Spears, such as when she was photographed driving with her son in her lap in 2006, before comparing it to her own experiences.

Sharing a photo of herself in the car, Ratajkowski wrote: “We are all reflecting back on shaming Britney and calling her a bad mom when she drove with her baby in her lap. We talk about how we have to ‘do better’ as a culture.

“Meanwhile, my comments are filled [with] awful remarks about how I don’t deserve to be a mom. Shame on you all.”

The supermodel then went on to acknowledge the difficulties of parenthood without being criticised by strangers, adding: “I don’t care if you hate me or hate celebrity (or just hate women) but it’s incredibly scary to become a parent and nobody deserves to be told by strangers that they’re a sh***y mother.”

Ratajkowski’s comments come after she was heavily criticised by many, including Piers Morgan, over since-deleted photos she shared of herself holding her newborn son last month, as mother-shamers believed she was incorrectly supporting the baby’s head.

During her pregnancy, the model also defended herself from critics who accused her of getting lip injections, with Ratajkowski writing: “You can’t even get injections when you’re pregnant. A woman’s blood volume increases 50 per cent, which is why ladies can get a little puffy in the face and lips during pregnancy.”

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