A conversation is brewing after photos of Billie Eilish wearing something other than an oversized hoodie hit the internet, inspired actress Michelle Trachtenberg to open up online about her own experience with body positivity. Though her journey to self-love has a happy ending, it unfortunately involves the one of the most notorious misogynists in Hollywood: one Harvey Weinstein.
Earlier this week, paparazzi images of Billie Eilish began circulating online. Unlike her typical oversized designer streetwear, the “No Time to Die” singer was clad in regular clothes that showed off her figure. The photos somehow sparked an online discourse about the importance of body diversity and body positivity in the industry, with many praising Eilish for always keeping the focus on her work and not necessarily what she looked like.
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“[Wearing oversized clothes] gives nobody the opportunity to judge what your body looks like,” said Eilish in conversation with Vogue Australia last year. “I don’t want to give anyone the excuse of judging...anything you look at, you judge.”
Trachtenberg was inspired by the photos of Eilish, logging on to Instagram to share her thoughts on body positivity. Uploading a throwback photo of herself wearing a sexy Snow White costume, the Gossip Girl actress divulged a shocking anecdote about her experience in Hollywood.
“The first time Harvey Weinstein told me I wasn't sexy enough to play a pregnant woman in one of his films, I opted out of my creepy cool Halloween costume for the year I was excited for, to ‘show’ him, hey I can be sexy seeeee!” she captioned the photo.
Not super surprising that Weinstein, a convicted serial predator, made such a disturbing comment about Trachtenberg’s body — why would a woman need to be “sexy” to portray a pregnant woman? Dozens of women have had similar experiences with the former film executive; just some of the other actresses who have spoken up about their respective harrowing encounters with Weinstein include Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron, Salma Hayek, and Kate Beckinsale.
Thankfully, Trachtenberg didn’t let Weinstein’s targeted misogyny and body shaming get to her — years later, she’s living her life and being sexy on her own terms. And she’s happy to see that other young women like Eilish are doing the same.
“I am personally not a fan of 'sexy Halloween costumes"' but that's that person's choice,” Trachtenberg’s caption continued. “I love being fun and inventive with crazy makeup and being the trick and not the treat. I'm super into @billieeilish messages of feel good for yourself not for anyone else.”