Didn’t even give it a second thought! Sports Illustrated model Ashley Graham doesn’t care about Cheryl Tiegs‘ “full-figured” slam.
The plus-size model responded to Tiegs’ controversial comments in a new interview with E! News. “Cheryl Tiegs may have said what she said, and it may have hurt a lot of people’s feelings, but my skin is so thick,” Graham, 28, said. “I kind of rolled my eyes. I was like, ‘Oh, whatever, another one of these ladies.’ But what’s great is that, the fact that she said it — it means that other women think like her. And what that means is that we really need to change the industry.”
As previously reported, Tiegs, 68, criticized Graham during an interview with E! News last week. “I don’t like that we’re talking about full-figured women, because it’s glamorizing them, because your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches],” she said at the time.
“That’s what Dr. Oz said, and I’m sticking to it. No, I don’t think it’s healthy,” she continued. “Her face is beautiful. Beautiful. But I don’t think it’s healthy in the long run.”
Tiegs — who is a former Sports Illustrated model — received backlash for her remarks, and later apologized via Twitter. “My sincere apologies to everyone I have hurt,” she wrote on February 26. “I truly just want everyone to be healthy & happy.”
According to Graham, however, Tiegs hasn’t directly reached out to her in the aftermath. “There are too many people thinking they can look at a girl my size and say that we are unhealthy. You can’t, only my doctor can!” Graham said. “I’ve never personally heard from her. She said her comment about me, then never heard a follow-up. People are saying she apologized. But I never heard one.”
Graham won’t hold that against the model, though. The Hollywood newcomer revealed that she would go up “and say hello” to Tiegs if they ever bumped into each other.
“The SI girls, I’ve always looked up to them. They are classic, amazing, beautiful women and it’s a shame that we have to bring other people down, but that’s why I’m here,” Graham said. “I’ve got to bring other women up.”
