Elizabeth Hurley, 52, slammed for wearing 'inappropriate' plunging dress with 16-year-old son

According to Elizabeth Hurley, her son doesn’t mind her sexy photos — but her critics still take issue with it.

On Thursday, Damian Hurley turned 16 and the actress took to Instagram to share a photo of them together. “Happy Birthday to my little prince @damianhurley1 . The light of my life for the last 16 years,” she wrote in the caption.

In the image, the teenager wears a silk blazer with a floral pattern while his mother is in a plunging dress with colorful crystal embellishment.

Commenters were quick to pass judgement on the 52-year-old’s attire, with one fan even calling her an “embarrassing mum.” Another added, “Using this moment to ‘showcase her assets’ and focus the attention back on her.” Someone else called the number “a tiny bit inappropriate,” with a user adding, “Your dress is way too revealing for a sophisticated elegant lady like you.”

Others jumped to The Royals star’s defense, with multiple people calling her “stunning” and “beautiful,” while one individual wrote, “If you’ve got it… flaunt it.”

And that’s exactly what she does — but don’t think that because she shares a lot of bikini pictures that she’s egomaniacal. “It’s not just a mad ego trip,” Hurley told Yahoo Lifestyle of her Instagram, which is filled with snapshots from the beach. “It’s not just me going nuts on holiday. It’s a business. If I didn’t have my own bikini line, I probably wouldn’t be posting pictures of myself in a bikini.”

She’s also a big proponent of body positivity. “There has been such a big movement in the last few years, which I think is such a positive one. That not everybody has to be 24 and 90 pounds,” Hurley explains. “People are feeling much more comfortable with their own body shape, with their own body type, and I think that’s a really great thing. At any age, it’s fantastic.”

Read more from Yahoo Lifestyle:

• Meghan Markle wears skinny jeans and polo shirt for latest outing with Prince Harry

• Anne Hathaway sends preemptive message to her fat-shamers: ‘It’s not me, it’s you’

• Alessandra Ambrosio’s post-breakup vacation is all about the bikinis

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