Jennifer Lawrence Defends 'Revealing' Dress After Photos Spark Controversy

Jennifer Lawrence attends the premiere of 'Mother' in Venice, Italy. Tiziana Fabi/Getty Images.

THE GOOD NEWS:

Jennifer Lawrence makes an empowering statement about self-expression.

Women are forced to suffer for fashion a lot more than men. Case in point: When going out for an elegant evening on a cold night, a man can wear a suit with a sports coat, with possibly a longer coat on top, while a woman could be expected to wear a dress that exposes her arms and legs.

On Tuesday, Feb. 20, actress Jennifer Lawrence was in London promoting her new movie, “Red Sparrow,” with co-stars Jeremy Irons and Joel Edgerton. The group posed for a photo outside where the men wore warm clothing and Lawrence rocked a revealing black dress.

Some on social media saw the photo as another example of an actress being forced to objectify herself — in freezing temperatures — while the men are allowed to dress weather-appropriate.

Helen Lewis has a point, too. As the #MeToo movement has revealed, actresses are forced time and time again to endure demeaning situations to keep their jobs in Hollywood. Why would things be any different for an A-lister?

Lawrence addressed the controversy the next day on Facebook by unequivocally stating the dress was her choice, cold be damned. “That Versace dress was fabulous, you think I’m going to cover that gorgeous dress up with a coat and a scarf?” she wrote in the post. “I was outside for 5 minutes. I would have stood in the snow for that dress because I love fashion and that was my choice.”

Lawrence concluded her post saying she is completely in charge of what she puts on her body. “Everything you see me wear is my choice,” Jennifer concluded. “And if I want to be cold THAT’S MY CHOICE TOO!”