Jessica Simpson has hit back at former Vogue editor, Sally Singer, after she recalled a memory of Simpson for an oral history of the Met Gala - a description the singer denounced as a "body shaming" attack.
On what would have been the evening of the Met Gala - the most highly anticipated sartorial event of the season - Vogue published an article to celebrate the event, which has been canceled this year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In the piece, which saw a slew of celebrities, designers and models sharing their memories of the Met Gala, Singer zoned in on Simpson, saying that she remembered her about to "fall out of" her Roberto Cavalli dress.
People are joining the Met Gala Challenge on social media to mark the event virtually:"One year Jessica Simpson was there with John Mayer. She was wearing Roberto Cavalli and her breasts maybe fell out of her dress on the red carpet...and then at dinner it was suddenly like, whoa, Jessica Simpson’s breasts are across from me at the dinner table and they are on a platter and I’m looking at them. And John Mayer was putting his hands on them at the dinner table. He kind of reached down and I just remember thinking, Oh, celebrities, feel free to play here. That’s what’s going on," Singer wrote.
Simpson was clearly not impressed by Singer's remarks, and duly took to Instagram to comment on the perceived attack. "Feeling a little like Jayne Mansfield after reading this (inaccurate!) oral history of the #MetBall where I am body shamed by #SallySinger," she wrote alongside an infamous image of Jayne Mansfield and Sophia Loren.
"But in all seriousness I have persevered through shaming my own body and internalizing the world’s opinions about it for my entire adult life. To read this much-anticipated article about the classiest fashion event there is and have to be shamed by another woman for having boobs in 2020 is nauseating," she continued.
She had the support of several notable celebrities, including January Jones, who wrote: "Love this pic so much! And no? women should not be talking about other women’s bodies period unless it’s to give a compliment or point out a suspicious looking mole."
Vogue has since apologized for the anecdote, with a representative saying that they were sorry that Simpson felt body-shamed by Singer's comments. "That was never our intent, but we understand her reaction and we apologize for including it," the spokesperson stated, per WWD.