Jennifer Lawrence Fires Back At Versace Dress Critics: 'This Is Sexist'
Jennifer Lawrence is slamming everyone who is criticizing the revealing Versace dress she wore during a photocall in London, calling the backlash ridiculous and offensive.
J-Law, Versace, And London
The Oscar-winning actress attended a Red Sparrow photocall in the brisk London weather wearing a plunging Versace creation with a slit up to her thighs.
The reaction was nearly instantaneous online, as online news publications, blogs, and social media began complaining of the nature of Lawrence's dress — especially beside her bundled up companions.
With the male director and cast members clad in warmer clothing on either side of her, most of the critics criticized her stylists, who they assumed chose her revealing ensemble for her and cited her outfit choice as another example of inequality in Hollywood.
Actress Slams Critics Online
Lawrence's reaction on the controversy shows that the criticism is way off base. The actress went on Facebook with a furious rant that revealed just how absurd she finds the issue.
"This is not only utterly ridiculous, I am extremely offended," she wrote, her annoyance apparent in the Facebook post. "That Versace dress was fabulous, you think I'm going to cover that gorgeous dress up with a coat and a scarf?"
The actress goes on to say that the she only spent five minutes outdoors, adding that she would have chosen to spend more time in the cold anyway because she truly loves fashion. The point is, she stresses, it's her choice.
Lawrence calls the criticisms sexist and decidedly not feminism.
"Overreacting about everything someone says or does, creating controversy over silly innocuous things such as what I choose to wear or not wear, is not moving us forward," she continues. "It's creating silly distractions from real issues. Get a grip people. Everything you see me wear is my choice. And if I want to be cold THAT'S MY CHOICE TOO!"
Even her Red Sparrow costar Joel Edgerton offers his two cents on the issue, calling it a "lose-lose" situation in an interview with Yahoo Movies UK. He points out that if Lawrence wore a coat and jeans to the photocall, there would be people complaining as well.
"The body-shaming and outfit-shaming that goes on in the perishable internet media is really disappointing," Edgerton concludes.
Constant Controversy
The Red Sparrow leading man adds that Lawrence is constantly being criticized for her words and actions.
Most recently, the actress caught a lot of flak for her quip onstage at the BAFTAs that many people interpreted as rudeness toward host Joanna Lumley. While Lawrence later clarified the exchange as an inside joke between her and the host, it only underlines the microscope the A-list star is put under.
