Natalie Portman has nothing but "respect" for Jessica Simpson after their recent misunderstanding.
The 37-year-old actress claimed in an interview earlier this month that she was "confused" as a teenager when she saw Jessica wearing a bikini and claiming she was a virgin, when she was trying to describe the contrast seen in the music industry and what it was trying to tell its audience.
And the comments caused Jessica, 38, to hit back on social media, slamming Natalie for seemingly "shaming other women" for their clothing choices, before the ‘Vox Lux’ actress responded to apologise, and clarify that she wasn’t trying to shame Jessica, but instead wanted to point out the issues within the industry.
Now, Natalie has said she has "only respect and good feelings" for the ‘I Wanna Love You Forever’ singer.
When asked during an appearance on ‘Watch What Happens Live’ if she had spoken to Jessica "offline" at all, Natalie said: "No, only on. And I have only respect and good feelings for her. I think there’s no need for beef between women. We’re all in the same society and living with the same pressures, and we’re allies."
In the ‘Black Swan’ star’s original comments, she was trying to describe the music industry’s portrayal of women in the late 1990s, when she said seeing Jessica wearing a bikini whilst saying she was a virgin created a confusing image for her.
Natalie said: "I remember being a teenager, and there was Jessica Simpson on the cover of a magazine saying ‘I’m a virgin,’ while wearing a bikini, and I was confused. Like, I don’t know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl."
To which Jessica posted on Instagram: "I was disappointed this morning when I read that I ‘confused’ you by wearing a bikini in a published photo taken of me when I was still a virgin in 1999. As public figures, we both know our image is not totally in our control at all times, and that the industry we work in often tries to define us and box us in.
"However, I was taught to be myself and honor the different ways all women express themselves, which is why I believed then – and I believe now – that being sexy in a bikini and being proud of my body are not synonymous with having sex. I have always embraced being a role model to all women to let them know they can look however they want, wear whatever they want and have sex or not have sex with whomever they want."
Natalie then apologised to Jessica, and insisted her comments were only meant to portray the "mixed messages" sent by the media at the time.
She said: "Thank you for your words. I completely agree with you that a woman should be allowed to dress however she likes and behave however she likes and not be judged. I only meant to say I was confused – as a girl coming of age in the public eye around the same time – by the media’s mixed messages about how girls and women were supposed to behave. I didn’t mean to shame you and I’m sorry for any hurt my words may have caused. I have nothing but respect for your talent and your voice that you use to encourage and empower women all over the globe."
Natalie Portman: I respect Jessica Simpson
