Florence Pugh Responds To Criticism Of Her Free The Nipple Moment At The Valentino Show

Florence Pugh has absolutely no patience for double standards and harsh criticism.

Just days after her look at Valentino's fall/winter 2022 haute couture runway show turned heads and caused a wave of outrage on social media, the actress spoke up.

On Friday, Pugh attended the show in Rome wearing a stunning sheer hot pink tulle gown by the Italian fashion house—with no bra. Her hair was slicked back, and she opted for a natural, rosy makeup look.

The Academy Award nominee posed on the Spanish Steps, looking radiant, and yesterday, shared photos of the couture look on Instagram along with a caption aimed at the "trolls" who felt the need to criticize her body on social media.

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"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," she started the caption. "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..?" she added.

The actress went on to address the endless criticism women face at the hands of men, and strangers, for how they look, and said she's happy she was raised to believe in herself and appreciate her body and "flaws."

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"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 wrote. "So many of you wanted to aggressively let me know how disappointed you were by my 'tiny tits,' or how I should be embarrassed by being so 'flat chested.'"

She added that what is "concerning" is why people are "so loudly upset" by the size and look of a woman's breasts and feel the need to shame them.

"I'm very grateful that I grew up in a household with very strong, powerful, curvy women. We were raised to find power in the creases of our body. To be loud about being comfortable. 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," she wrote.

In the last slide of her Instagram carrousel, Pugh added a photo of her covering her nipples with her fingers, "for those who feel more comfortable with that inch of darker skin to be covered," she shared.

"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," she wrote. "#fuckingfreethefuckingnipple."

This article originally appeared on Harper's BAZAAR US.

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