This year, Sports Illustrated featured three models on three different covers of its iconic Swimsuit Issue.
One of these gorgeous women is Ashley Graham, a full-figure model that posed in a purple and yellow string bikini.
Women everywhere rejoiced to see a curvy, different model type this year. Graham told reporters that she wants to be a positive role model for women and girls everywhere—to show them that you don’t have to be a twig to be beautiful.
However, a renowned celebrity and three-time Sports Illustrated cover model, Cheryl Tiegs, did not approve of Graham’s appearance on the cover. She made her statement loud and clear when she interviewed with an E! News reporter last month. Tiegs said, “I don’t like that we’re talking about full-figured women because it’s glamorizing them because your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches].” She quoted a health report by Dr. Oz to back her claim.
Graham ended up brushing off the comments when publicly asked about them, and Tiegs ended up issuing an apology via Twitter. But here’s to hoping for a world where Tiegs wouldn’t have made her comments in the first place and no explanation from Graham would be necessary.
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