Paulina Porizkova, 57, slams criticism of 'barely-clothed' pic: 'Truly sad'
The supermodel and ant-ageism advocate called out some people's "unkind comments."
Paulina Porizkova isn't letting critics have the last word.
The supermodel took to Instagram on Tuesday to mark her upcoming 58th birthday with a sultry photo, where she poses in front of a fireplace wearing a matching black underwear set. She paired the steamy look with black leather boots and a red cashmere cardigan.
While many praised the "No Filter: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful" author's anti-ageism advocacy, Porizkova rounded up a handful of comments from others who found the picture distasteful and fired back at their criticism.
"The self-objectification just to prove how well you're aging proves how little pride you really have," one commenter wrote.
"Sure, that is what 58 looks like with lots of money," someone else weighed in, adding that Porizkova is "not representative" of most women her age.
"I post a barely-clothed photo of myself, it gets a lot of attention," Porizkova replied to the "naysayers" in her caption. "Most of you are wonderfully supportive and understand what I'm trying to do in representing an older woman as still sexy and viable, and certainly not invisible. ... The unkind comments seem to focus on me needing validation — which is true in part, I do need to be noticed in order not to be invisible."
Porizkova added that she is, however, "not trying to represent all women of my age" since that's not possible.
"Don't we all look different and isn't that where our beauty lies? In our uniqueness?" she penned. "What is truly sad here are the obvious insecurities of women who cannot find space to love themselves for who they are."
In the comments, fans praised Porizkova for her message to the haters.
"I'd imagine being a supermodel where your looks were hyper-focused on makes it even more challenging to accept aging gracefully," a fan wrote. "I think you're doing an amazing job of it."
"Thank you for always speaking your truth! You're such an inspiration," another Instagram user commented.
"You inspired me to embrace my age. You are amazing!" someone else wrote, while another sounded off, "We need more women who walk in their authenticity."
In January, Porizkova shared an honest message about the physical changes her body has been experiencing with age. However, she said she "couldn't appreciate my body more."
"I will be turning 58 soon, and couldn't appreciate my body more... It takes a lot of work, especially with the janky hips," she wrote alongside a video of herself in a burgundy and white bikini, walking out of the ocean. "Staying in shape takes much more time and effort, but it allows me to fully inhabit this shell I was given at birth, something I took for granted most of my life.
"Not anymore. Now, it's a deliberate decision to allow it to work as best as it can, being grateful for its ability to move me through the world to keep harvesting the beauty of it all. Pain included."
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