Natalie Portman and Jessica Simpson.Shutterstock (2)
“I remember being a teenager, and there wasJessica Simpsonon the cover of a magazine saying ‘I’m a virgin,’ while wearing a bikini, and I was confused,” Portman told USA Today. “Like, I don’t know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl.”
Portman’s team did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
While most commenters seemed to support Simpson’s sentiment, other people referenced that she might be misreading the situation.
Portman has been aTime’s Upadvocate from the beginning, and she’s very vocal about how women deserve to be treated in and outside of Hollywood.
In October, the Oscar Winner spoke about sexual harassment, equal pay, representation and more as an honoree atVariety’s Power of Women summit.
“Stop the rhetoric that a woman is crazy or difficult,” Portman said. “If a man says to you that a woman is crazy or difficult, ask him,’ What bad thing did you do to her?’ … That’s a code word. He’s trying to discredit her reputation. Make efforts to hire people who’ve had their reputations smeared in retaliation.”
InVox Lux, she plays a 30-something pop star who rose to fame in the late ’90s and now grapples with her superstardom. PortmantoldUSA Today, that musicians have it harder than anyone else in the spotlight when it comes to public scrutiny.
“People who succeed in music, their fandom is much larger than any actor, and it’s them as themselves whereas actors are in character,” Portman said. “There’s a difference in expectation.”
A source tells PEOPLE that Simpson’s takes her platform as a role model very seriously, which sparked her passionate reaction.
“She believes strongly in supporting women’s choices and their individuality,” the insider adds. “She understands that the pop music industry at the time had a vision for her and she chose to put on that bikini for the photo shoot and she was okay with it.”
source: people.com
