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People Want to Know Why This Writer Has a Problem with Nude Pregnancy Shoots After Serena Williams Does It

Serena Williams is the latest in a long line of celebrity women who have posed nude while pregnant. (Vanity Fair/Annie Leibovitz)

A prominent fashion critic has irritated some Twitter users due to her lengthy article that takes issue with Serena Williams‘ nude pregnancy shoot, which the writer says was about “voyeurism.”

“It would have been fine to skip this strange celebrity ritual, this complicated stew of personal indulgence, brand tending and sociopolitical me-too-ism,” wrote Robin Givhan of The Washington Post. “Yes, pregnancy is beautiful and powerful and worthy of celebration. You are womanly. You are phenomenal. God bless. But it has become virtually impossible for a celebrity to go through a pregnancy without getting naked for the cameras, her fans and — presumably — herself.”

After noting the way Beyoncé has supposedly made her pregnancy into a spectacle with her Instagram announcement and MTV Video Music Awards performance, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Givhan, who is Black, mentioned other celebrities who have also used posed nude while expecting, including Demi Moore, who is widely credited with starting the trend. Then, Givhan continued taking issue with famous women baring their baby bumps.

“This Vanity Fair cover is about voyeurism. … There are often important messages celebrities can highlight when they invite the public into their personal lives,” Givhan, who writes about the culture and politics of clothes, wrote. “They can help destigmatize illnesses or normalize what at first seems disconcertingly unfamiliar. But what is the broader value of the bared baby bump? Under the best of circumstances, pregnancy is a beautiful and life-changing experience. And every woman’s pregnancy is unique and captivating to her. But even if a woman is a celebrity, that doesn’t make her pregnancy newsworthy.”

Since the article was published Tuesday, June 27, many have spoken out against Givhan and in favor of Williams.

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