Jessica Simpson Fires Back At Natalie Portman

An unlikely feud between Jessica Simpson and Natalie Portman has landed on the internet today.

During an interview with USA Today, Natalie said, “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. Like, I don’t know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl,”.

Jessica has responded to those comments by saying, “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.

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 tries to define us and box us in.

However, I was taught to be myself and honour the different ways all women express themselves, which is why I believe then – and I believe now – that being sexy in a bikini and being proud of my body are not synonymous with having sex.

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 Time’s Up and all the great work you have done for women, I encourage you to do the same.”

Natalie appears in Vox Lux, a new film where she plays a pop star, and during her USA Today interview she talks about real-life pop stars, and the way in which women were made to feel they should be a certain way by the music industry in the late 1990s.

Goes to show that even decisions made back in the 90s can creep back up on you.