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Buzz Feed
03-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Famous Women Who Deserve An Apology
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 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 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 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.'"
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Rihanna and A$AP Rocky Considering Having Baby No. 3 in Barbados: ‘Surrounded by Family'
Rihanna is over the moon to be expecting her baby No. 3 with A$AP Rocky, and a source exclusively tells In Touch that the Fenty founder is giving serious thought to delivering the child in her native of Barbados. 'Rihanna is happiest at home in Barbados surrounded by her family,' the source explains. 'She loves the idea of taking the kids over there and just parking herself for a few months before her due date so she can totally unwind and relish the last stage of her pregnancy.' Rihanna, 37, has only continued to embrace motherhood since announcing her first pregnancy in 2022, now expecting her third child with A$AP (real name: Rakim Mayers), 36, in just three years. She and the 'Sundress' rapper welcomed their first son, RZA, in May 2022, followed by their second, Riot, in August 2023. The insider says that 'having so much help with the kids and new baby right after' is a 'big draw' on why the 'Disturbia' songstress is pushing toward delivering her baby in her home country. 'She's got two high energy boys to take care of, sure she has nannies, she's not doing it all alone, but she's still got to be very hands on,' the source says. 'Having her family be able to step in and take that over while she focuses on her newborn would be fantastic.' However, the insider says that Rihanna had a 'great experience' with the last two deliveries of her children in Los Angeles and 'hasn't ruled that out.' 'If she ends up going that direction then she will likely take a long holiday to Barbados and fly back at the last possible moment to L.A,' says the insider. 'And, she'll make sure a bunch of her family comes to L.A. to help out after the baby is born. One way or the other she will be surrounded and supported by her family." Rihanna revealed she was pregnant with baby No. 3 on May 5, which also coincided with the Met Gala. Before making her baby bump debut on the red carpet in a structured menswear-inspired ensemble, the 'Unfaithful' songstress was spotted in gray casual wear, where her pregnant belly could be poking out. 'It feels amazing, you know,' A$AP told reporters of becoming a father for the third time ahead of Rihanna's arrival at the Met Gala red carpet. 'It's time that we show the people what we was cooking up. And I'm glad everybody's happy for us, 'cause we definitely happy, you know.' The 'Pon De Replay' singer had been hesitant to put a specific number on how many children she hoped to have. When asked about how many kids she wanted during an August 2024 interview with Interview magazine, Rihanna responded, 'As many as god wants me to have.' 'I don't know what god wants, but I would go for more than two,' the 'Battleship' actress told the outlet. 'I would try for my girl. But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy.'
Forbes
25-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Forbes
Pon De Replay: How Rihanna's Digital Age Debut Made Caribbean History
GERMANY - AUGUST 18: Photo of RIHANNA (Photo by Rob Verhorst/Redferns) At just 17, Rihanna made her professional debut with her single 'Pon de Replay,' becoming the first female Caribbean pop star to ignite the digital era. Our Bad Gal Riri was only 17-years-old when she busted onto the scene with this Caribbean riddim and dance club mix of a song. In May 2005, 'Pon de Replay' was a global smash hit that turned up nightclubs throughout the diaspora, decorating nightlife all over, including New York, Kingston, and Lagos. Its reverb was undeniable. Respectively a polyrhythmic movement, 'Pon de Replay,' skyrocketed the Barbadian-born talent to meteoric stardom with chart-topping positions and notable award nominations. Today, the world joins the beloved Rihanna to commemorate the infancy of her legendary career. 'Come, Mr. DJ, son pon de reply / Come, Mr. DJ, won't you turn the music up?' This is the lyrical cadence that ultimately branded the song. A fusion of Bajan Creole, Rihanna's native tongue, and Jamaican Patois, the official language of dancehall music. 'Pon de Replay' dropped during a time when the music industry was still adapting to the evolution from CDs to iPods. Pre-Spotify. No TikTok amplification. And iTunes was in the infancy of locating its footing, having launched just two years prior. Yet, in this transition moment, 'Pon de Replay' became one of the first digital era juggernauts. This was an early signal that a hit could be born purely through online downloads. It soared to the top of the Billboard Hot Digital Songs chart in July 2005 and lowkey became a case study in how digital consumption could crown a newcomer. HOLLYWOOD - AUGUST 31: Singer Rihanna arrives at the 2005 World Music Awards at the Kodak Theatre ... More on August 31, 2005 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by) On the Billboard Hot 100, where Mariah Carey's seismic heartbreak anthem 'We Belong Together' held court, 'Pon de Replay,' boldly held the number two spot and reigned in the top ten for 12 straight weeks. It also topped the Billboard Hot Dance Club Songs and Mainstream Top 40 charts, standing as unshaken proof of Rihanna's global appeal. It became the official party jam of Summer 2005, a feat the Bajan-born singer would repeat across multiple eras of her ever-evolving career. And having sold over 2 million digital units on iTunes, 'Pon de Replay' ultimately went RIAA certified platinum times two. Immediately, a then teenage Riri became an international sensation. It was rare to see a young Caribbean singer on the cover of a mainstream publication, as she unforgettably graced the cover of Seventeen and went on MTV's TRL and BET's 106 and Park, also rare opportunities. Not only did this prove that she had global appeal, but it proved that indeed a young Caribbean singer is marketable and can tremendously resonate with an American audience. WEST HOLLYWOOD, CA - JULY 14: Roc-A-Fella recording artist Rihanna is featured at the Teen People ... More Listening Lounge hosted by Jay - Z at the Key Club on July 14, 2005 in West Hollywood, California. (Photo by) The song was fitting for a range of genres, that of pop, R&B, dancehall and club music which are all genres that stand adjacent to hip-hop, making hip-hop heads grand consumers of the song. It was sensible. She was the newest signee to Def Jam thanks to Jay-Z, having wowed the hip-hop mogul along with L.A. Reid in February that year, and three months later made her solo single debut with 'Pon de Replay.' Her debut album Music of the Sun launched later that year in August, making Rihanna an instant artist to watch in the pop arena. Rihanna's ability to dominate the pop arena without compromising her Barbadian hertiage certainly served as a breakthrough for Caribbean artists. She picked up and carried out what Caribbean predecessors such as Patra, Shabba Ranks, Super Cat, and Diana King has accomplished throughout the '90s—a successful fusion into American music genres, hip-hop and R&B, where it was proven that the Caribbean cadence can withstand aural satisfaction. Just one year prior, the world was on their feet with Sean Paul's trifecta of dancehall hits, 'Gimmie the Light,' 'Get Busy," and 'Like Glue,' and then there was the soca-crossover party bangers, Kevin Lyttle's 'Turn Me On' and Rupee's 'Tempted to Touch.' Now, with Riri's 'Pon de Replay,' the Caribbean cadence was officialy welcomed into the pop world. NEW YORK - MARCH 24: Recording artists Rihanna (L) and Sean Paul pose for photos backstage at Sean ... More Paul's "The Trinity" World Tour at Nokia Theater March 24, 2006 in New York City. (Photo by) While artists like Paul, Lyttle, and Rupee brought Caribbean likeness to early-2000s charts, Rihanna arrived with something distinctly new. She was the first female artist to debut in pop's digital age. Where others opened doors, she stepped through with a hit that was born and raised in the iTunes era, proving that an island girl could drive the global sound, during a time where diasporic Black cultures were seeking global representation. And while female acts like Lady Saw, Alison Hinds, and Destra Garcia were regional powerhouses in dancehall, reggae, and soca, as well as genre-defining legends in their own right, they never crossed into the U.S. pop market on a digital scale. That had less to do with talent and more to do with timing, global marketing, and possibly a disinterest in conforming to the pop formula. By the early 2000s, they were already established icons, celebrated by Caribbean and diasporic audiences worldwide. Rihanna, by contrast, emerged as their modernized little sister who was young, polished, and strategically backed and ready to channel this island swag through the lens of a rising global pop star. CANNES, FRANCE - MAY 19: A$AP Rocky and Rihanna depart the "Highest 2 Lowest" red carpet at the 78th ... More annual Cannes Film Festival at Palais des Festivals on May 19, 2025 in Cannes, France. (Photo by Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty Images) Our Bad Gal Riri has been an undeniable force since her professional debut and has likely surpassed even her own expectations, now standing as a bonafide business mogul thanks to her beauty empires, Fenty Beauty and Savage x Fenty. Nearly a decade after her Anti album and three years since her last single, 'Lift Me Up,' fans are grateful for her new track, 'Friend of Mine,' tailored for the Smurfs Movie soundtrack — which also served as confirmation of the coming of her new, as of now, genre-less album, R9. And let's not forget her solid romantic bond with rapper, A$AP Rocky, the father of her two sons, RZA and Riot, with baby number three currently in the oven. It is history of this caliber, and, more recently her entry into motherhood, that gives Rihanna the license to withhold her precious tunes until the timing is right. She knows exactly what will hit. Let the Bad Gal rock.
