Florence Pugh in 'Black Widow'

Things We Saw Today: Florence Pugh Tells Sexist Trolls to “Grow Up”

Plus 'Stranger Things', goats, and more!

Florence Pugh made headlines this weekend when she wore a sheer Valentino gown to the brand’s haute couture show in Rome. The dress was see-through, which launched a thousand takes on social media, with many celebrating Pugh and the gorgeous dress. The Black Widow actor was flanked by fellow celebrities and Anna Wintour in the front row of the runway show.

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Pugh’s dress was cheeky, but it wasn’t anything new: plenty of starlets and models have donned outfits that bared their chests before. But unlike them, Pugh has since been the subject of sexist trolls who assumed that Pugh’s dress gave them permission to share any and all gross comments and thoughts on her body. Pugh responded via Instagram, writing “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. I was excited to wear it, not a wink of me was nervous. I wasn’t before, during or even now after.”

Pugh continued, “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..? 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.”

Pugh added, “It has always been my mission in this industry to say ‘fuck it and fuck that’ whenever anyone expects my body to morph into an opinion of what’s hot or sexually attractive. I wore that dress because I know. If being loudly abusive towards women publicly in 2022 is so easy for you, then the answer is that it is you who doesn’t know. Grow up. Respect people. Respect bodies. Respect all women. Respect humans. Life will get a whole lot easier, I promise. And all because of two cute little nipples….”

Pugh is absolutely right: if you have a problem with her dress or her body, that’s on you.

(featured image: Disney/Marvel)

  • George R.R. Martin says his books won’t end like Game of Thrones. (via Not a Blog)
  • The Stranger Things subtitle team gets an interview. (via Vulture)
  • Those goats in Thor: Love and Thunder really are the GOAT. (via Collider)
  • Thor: Love and Thunder makes all the money, as expected. (via Variety)
  • ‘She-Hulk’ star Jameela Jamil knows you have opinions on her wig. (via THR)
  • Martin Freeman joins the cast of Marvel’s ‘Secret Invasion’. (via Radio Times)

Happy Sunday, Mary Suevians!

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Author
Image of Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea Steiner
Chelsea was born and raised in New Orleans, which explains her affinity for cheesy grits and Britney Spears. An pop culture journalist since 2012, her work has appeared on Autostraddle, AfterEllen, and more. Her beats include queer popular culture, film, television, republican clownery, and the unwavering belief that 'The Long Kiss Goodnight' is the greatest movie ever made. She currently resides in sunny Los Angeles, with her husband, 2 sons, and one poorly behaved rescue dog. She is a former roller derby girl and a black belt in Judo, so she is not to be trifled with. She loves the word “Jewess” and wishes more people used it to describe her.