Famous Women Who Deserve An Apology

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17 hours ago

A while back, I wrote about some famous young women who deserved an apology for the mistreatment they received from the entertainment industry and the press. In the comments, people shared even more examples, and not one lie was told. Here are 16 of their top responses:
"Can we please add Monica Lewinsky to this list?"
—secretlydevito
During the Clinton Administration, Monica Lewinsky worked as a White House intern. She had an affair with President Bill Clinton, which led to his impeachment. However, while his political career continued, she was subjected to public ridicule and sexist media coverage and "was branded as a tramp, tart, slut, whore, bimbo, and, of course, 'That Woman.'" In her 2015 Ted Talk "The Price of Shame," she said, "When this happened to me 17 years ago, there was no name for it. Now, we call it cyberbullying and online harassment... Public humiliation as a blood sport has to stop...just imagine walking a mile in someone else's headline."
"This is one that's surprisingly not talked about a lot, but when Rihanna was rumored to be a 'homewrecker' and 'cheating with Jay-Z' when she was a teenager!"
—woohp
In 2005, 17-year-old Rihanna was subjected to rumors that her music mentor Jay-Z was cheating on Beyoncé with her. The speculation grew so intense that it reportedly caused the couple to briefly break up. Fans theorized Beyoncé's songs "Resentment" and "Ring the Alarm" were about Rihanna until Beyoncé's father/manager released a statement clarifying that they weren't.
A decade later, publicist Jonathan Hay admitted to making up the cheating rumor to promote Rihanna's first single, "Pon De Replay." He told Inside Edition, "I was desperate at the time because I wanted to have a hit record...[I was] young and stupid."
"There are so many examples, but one I always remember is Ariel Winter. She was constantly sexualized and body-shamed, and then she was criticized when she had a breast reduction. She couldn't win no matter what she did."
—gabriellenatalia
During her time as a child actor on Modern Family, Ariel Winter was subjected to a lot of public criticism and commentary about her body. She told People, "It was just everywhere. It was every headline I read about myself, like, grown people writing articles about me saying how I looked terrible or pregnant or like a fat slut. I mean, I was 14. It totally damaged my self-esteem... I understood what it was like to be hated. No matter what I was going through, I was a target. It made it very difficult to look at myself in the mirror and go, 'I love this version of me.'"
At 17, Ariel decided to undergo breast reduction surgery. She told TIME, "Women are already over-sexualized, and I grew into my body so young. I was 13, 14 years old, and I looked 19. Suddenly, people didn't want to talk about my job — they just wanted to talk about my cleavage. I'd go to awards shows, and the next day, see everyone on the internet telling me I shouldn't look like this and dress like that. The conversation became about my looks instead of my talent and work — everything that I didn't want. I even started getting messages from older male fans, and let's just say they were gross. Sometimes, it felt like even my work was defined by my body. I was offered a lot of older roles because I wasn't able to play 'younger' anymore..."
She continued, "People may find it hard to believe, but when I got my breast reduction surgery last year, it wasn't because of the mean comments online. It wasn't because I didn't like how I looked. Having so much weight on my frame was affecting me psychologically. I was uncomfortable and unhappy. I chose surgery because of how I felt, not because of what anyone else thought. Afterward, I automatically felt so much happier and just better physically. "
"The 'scandal' with Megan Thee Stallion and Tory Lanez makes me so angry every time it's brought up, and it upsets me even more because I know people in real life who still believe that Tory is innocent. Free Tory, my ass! All he had to do was take responsibility and apologize, but he made Megan the villain. Men really ain't shit sometimes."
—ermehblerb93
In 2020, Megan Thee Stallion was shot in the foot by Tory Lanez after a party. In the years between her report and the trial, she was constantly victim-blamed and accused of lying by online trolls and fellow musicians. Men like Da Baby and 50 Cent openly mocked her, and Drake and 21 Savage called her a liar in their song "Circo Loco."
Megan continued to bravely share her story, but she struggled with the cruel comments others made online. She told Rolling Stone, "I get online, I see funny shit all day. But then in the mix of that, there is also 20 people at-ing me at one time, saying crazy stuff. I'm like, 'My 15 minutes [online] is over. Get off.' ​​I see people saying, 'Damn, I would've shot that bitch too.' In some kind of way, I became the villain. And I don't know if people don't take it seriously because I seem strong."
In December 2022, Tory was found guilty, and in August 2023, he was sentenced to 10 years in prison. Megan told Elle, "I don't want to call myself a victim. As I reflect on the past three years, I view myself as a survivor, because I have truly survived the unimaginable. Not only did I survive being shot by someone I trusted and considered a close friend, but I overcame the public humiliation of having my name and reputation dragged through the mud by that individual for the entire world to see."
"For years, my attacker laughed and joked about my trauma. For years, my attacker peddled false narratives about what happened on the night of July 12, 2020. For years, my attacker tried to leverage social media to take away my power. Imagine how it feels to be called a liar every day. Especially from a person who was once part of your inner circle...It never crossed my mind that people wouldn't believe me. Still, I knew the truth and the indisputable facts would prevail. I had worked way too hard to reach this point in my career to let taunts deter me. When the guilty verdict came on Dec. 23, 2022, it was more than just vindication for me, it was a victory for every woman who has ever been shamed, dismissed, and blamed for a violent crime committed against them," she said.
"Let's not forget when the Sun did a full page daily countdown for a week leading up to Emma Watson's 16th birthday, with the headline on the day being something like 'She's Finally Legal!' Disgusting. She was 16, and grown men were cheering that a teenager is legally allowed to have sex [with someone their age]."
—nikitalauren
In 2006, the Sun published a countdown to Emma Watson's 16th birthday (the legal age of consent in England). Unfortunately, that kind of treatment didn't end there. She told Cosmopolitan UK, "I remember on my 18th birthday, I came out of my birthday party, and photographers laid down on the pavement and took photographs up my skirt, which were then published on the front of the English tabloid [newspapers] the next morning. If they had published the photographs 24 hours earlier, they would have been illegal, but because I had just turned 18, they were legal."
"There were radio countdowns to Natalie Portman's 18th birthday."
—andmeggyhash
During a speech at the 2018 Women's March, Natalie Portman said, "I was so excited at 13 when the film [The Professional] was released, and my work and my art would have a human response. I excitedly opened my first fan mail to read a rape fantasy that a man had written me. A countdown was started on my local radio show to my 18th birthday, euphemistically, the date that I would be legal to sleep with. Movie reviewers talked about my budding breasts in reviews... At 13 years old, the message from our culture was clear to me. I felt the need to cover my body and to inhibit my expression and my work in order to send my own message to the world: That I'm someone worthy of safety and respect."
"There was similar things for the Olsen twins too. It's so gross."
—kimm4983af2a9
In 2004, radio shock jocks Lex Staley and Terry Jaymes published an "Olsen Twin Jailbait Countdown Clock" online. It wasn't the only online countdown to Mary-Kate and Ashley's 18th birthday. And when they hosted Saturday Night Live, Mary-Kate said, "Remember, we're legal in four weeks!" during the credits.
"I think people owe Rebecca Black an apology for how much hate she got for 'Friday.'"
—grimchbettahavemymoney
"That song was a hilarious bop. It wasn't good by any stretch (sorry, Rebecca), but it was such a thing when I was in college. One of the dorms had a room that would blast it out the window every single Friday. It wasn't any worse than your average stuff on YouTube in the mid-aughts, and while I can see people poking fun at her, it was never acceptable to send death threats over it. I hope she's living her best life now."
—notsosane1991
When Rebecca Black was 13, her "Friday" music video went viral, with many viewers dubbing it the "worst song ever." She was widely ridiculed. When she appeared on ABC News, the interviewer read a few mean comments to her face. Then, when she asked her about the meanest comment she'd received, Rebecca recalled a troll who told her wished self-harm, an eating disorder, and death on her.
Rising above it all, Rebecca grew up to be a successful singer. In 2024, she opened her "TRUST!" music video with audio from news clips, mostly about "Friday." She told Paper magazine, "Everything I breathe is laced with camp these days, and this concept felt like turning a narrative on its head in a fierce and unapologetic way."
"The one that always stuck with me was Zendaya. This was my first time ever seeing Zendaya, and I remember just seeing this stunning girl. (I am older and lived overseas for years, so I was not up to date with the celebrities at the time.) I remember watching Fashion Police and hearing Giuliana Rancic make that comment. I was sitting there in disbelief. I was like, 'How the fuck did she get that idea? Weed and pachouli oil! WTF! It's not like she rolled up in Cheech and Chong's van sporting a splif out of her mouth (and if she did, so the fuck what!).' I just saw this beautiful young lady with locs and a gorgeous dress, and she rocked the hell out of the whole look! I know Giuliana said a producer kept telling her to say that, but I don't know if that is true or not. But I just find it bizarre and shocking that she would say such a thing. I need to stop being surprised by people's actions."
—blackheath
When Zendaya was 18, she walked the Academy Awards red carpet with her hair styled in locs. Criticizing her, Fashion Police host Giuliana Rancic said, "I feel like she smells like patchouli oil...maybe weed." In a widely praised Instagram response, Zendaya called out her comments for being "not only a large stereotype but outrageously offensive." She said, "My wearing my hair in locs on an Oscar red carpet was to showcase them in a positive light to remind people of color that our hair is good enough. To me locs are a symbol of strength and beauty, almost like a lion's mane."
Giuliana made a public apology, telling E!, "I'd really like to address something that is weighing very heavy on my heart,' Rancic said on the E! show Tuesday night. "Something I said last night did cross the line. I want to say to Zendaya and anyone else out there that I have hurt that I am so, so sincerely sorry... This incident has taught me to be a lot more aware of clichés and stereotypes, how much damage they can do."
"All the Dance Moms kids need an apology from their parents! They basically just stood around and let their kids get traumatized and humiliated for an international audience because they wanted to make them reality show stars. The entire show is gross, and Abby Lee Miller (while clearly a garbage person) is far from being the only villain on there. The moms were harsh and snippy with each other's kids. They put those kids down a lot, and they just stood around commenting on how mad they were that their kids were being treated badly instead of actually protecting those kids. They can claim they did it for their kids' careers, but they basically clambered on their shoulders to be 'reality stars' themselves."
—niharik2711
From 2011-2019, the reality series Dance Moms followed a team of young dancers from the Abby Lee Dance Company and their mothers. It featured breakout stars like Maddie Ziegler and JoJo Siwa. The company's owner and choreographer, Abby Lee Miller, infamously ranked the girls on a "pyramid." Abby and the show have been widely criticized for their treatment of the girls.
"I remember when Vanessa Hudgens's nudes were leaked, some magazines were claiming that the nudes being 'out there' was her cheating on Zac Efron. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I also remember how someone was quick to create an online game where you played the role of a photographer who was taking nudes of her. The game took place in a hotel room, and you were supposed to choose from different dialogues to get a cartoon version of her to strip until she was fully nude.🤢"
—whale_tail
In 2007, a hacker stole Vanessa Hudgens's private nude photos and leaked them to the National Enquirer. She was subjected to widespread criticism and mockery from both the press and the public. A lot of the blame was placed on her. In a statement, she said, "I want to apologize to my fans, whose support and trust means the world to me. I am embarrassed over this situation and regret having ever taken these photos. I am thankful for the support of my family and friends."
However, in 2020, Vanessa told Cosmopolitan UK, "It was a really traumatizing thing for me. It's really fucked up that people feel like they are entitled enough to share something that personal with the world. As an actor, you completely lose all grip of your own privacy, and it's really sad. It feels like that shouldn't be the case, but unfortunately, if enough people are interested, they're going to do everything they can to get to know as much about you as they can, which is flattering, I guess, but then people take it too far and end up divulging things that should be personal."
"I think that is because there's a disconnect when you see your favorite actress on the screen, and you see them now on your TV in your homes, and you can watch them whenever you want. There's almost – I don't want to say lack of respect because that sounds negative – but it just makes you feel like you know them even though you don't," she said.
"There was a countdown to Britney Spears's 18th birthday."
—goety
In 1999, someone created a countdown to Britney Spears's 18th birthday, marking the moment she'd become "legal." It was reportedly one of the first celebrity birthday countdowns. Early in her career, she was also subjected to a disconcerting number of interview questions about her virginity, her body, and similar topics.
"The seemingly topless Vanity Fair photo of Miley Cyrus always made me mad. Mad that she was blamed for it, and mad at the photographer who took it. It wasn't just her back. It was her covered with a sheet in bed. I think we should have gotten mad, but not at Miley! I think it was an Annie Liebowitz photo, and she needs to be called out."
—pattington98
When Miley Cyrus was 15, she was publicly shamed over a Vanity Fair photoshoot by Annie Leibovitz where she posed wrapped in a sheet, appearing to be topless. At the time, she released a statement, telling People, "My goal in my music and my acting is always to make people happy. For Vanity Fair, I was so honored and thrilled to work with Annie [Leibovitz]. I took part in a photo shoot that was supposed to be 'artistic,' and now, seeing the photographs and reading the story, I feel so embarrassed."
However, ten years later, Miley shared a picture of a New York Post headline shaming her and tweeted, "I'M NOT SORRY Fuck YOU."
"The one that always hit me was Soleil Moon Frye. I'm the same age as her, and I, too, developed a lot and very early, and it was so upsetting to see how her boobs were the only thing people would talk about and make fun of. My heart just felt for her so much because I was in the same growth boat, just not under the media's magnifying glass throughout the whole thing."
—rvinson926
From ages 7–11, Soleil Moon Frye starred on Punky Brewster. When the show ended, she "was going through puberty, and [she] developed very quickly." She struggled to find age-appropriate jobs and was offered "tits and ass roles," despite being a child, and male producers viewed her as a "wild girl." She also dealt with insecurity and mistreatment from her peers. In 2021, she told People, "Everywhere I went I was called 'Punky Boobster,' and people would stare directly at my boobs... No one is in charge of how their body develops, but there was so much shame about it."
Then, she decided to undergo breast reduction surgery at 15; she was publicly shamed, but she spoke about it to the press because she wanted "kids to know that it is okay to make a change in order to feel better about themselves." At the time, she told People, "It was a time when I was confronting my fears about becoming a woman. I needed to be sure that I was doing this for myself — not for producers or boyfriends or my family. It takes a lot of courage."
"The Jessica Simpson body-shaming thing was so damaging to a lot of young people. I remember looking at her and thinking that, if she's this huge whale, what the hell was I? It was another hand in warping the body image of a generation."
—noideasforausername
In 2009, Jessica Simpson was widely body-shamed in the press over photos of her performing at a chili cook-off in Texas. For the six months that followed, she disappeared from the public eye. At the time, headlines poked fun at her weight and accused her of "letting herself go." In 2020, she told Today, "This picture that circulated and went worldwide broke my heart. Well, not the picture necessarily, but the caption. Like, all the captions...I was taken down by the world."
And finally: "Taylor Swift has been slut shamed relentlessly just for dating like any other normal teenager/young adult."
—tabathaannm2
In 2019, Taylor Swift told Zane Lowe, "When I was, like, 23 and people were just kind of reducing me to … kind of making slideshows of my dating life and putting people in there that I'd sat next to at a party once and deciding that my songwriting was like a trick rather than a skill and a craft... In a way, it's figuring out how to completely minimize that skill by taking something that everyone in their darkest, darkest moments loves to do, which is just to slut-shame, you know? That happened to me at a very young age, so that was a bit hard. That was one of the first times I was like, 'Wow, this is not fair.'"