Emily Ratajkowski, 28, shares throwback snap of herself in a bikini at 14 and reveals she wishes she had been encouraged to be ‘more than just my body’
- Ratajkowski posted the photo to Instagram Saturday to encourage young girls not to fixate on ‘sexiness’
- ‘I used to like showing people this photo of me at 14 to prove that my body is natural. Now I’m a little sad it exists at all,’ the model wrote in the caption
- ‘I was just a kid in this picture and I wish the world had encouraged my 14-year-old self to be more than just my body,’ she added
- Several of Ratajkowski’s famous friends expressed support in the comments
Emily Ratajkowski shared a snap of her 14-year-old self in a bikini on Instagram along with some advice about body positivity that she wishes she’d been given at that age.
The 28-year-old model posted the throwback photo on Saturday to encourage young girls not to fixate on ‘sexiness’.
‘I used to like showing people this photo of me at 14 to prove that my body is natural. Now I’m a little sad it exists at all,’ she wrote in the caption.
‘I was just a kid in this picture and I wish the world had encouraged my 14-year-old self to be more than just my body.’
Younger self: Emily Ratajkowski shared a throwback photo of her 14-year-old self in a bikini on Instagram to encourage young girls not to fixate on ‘sexiness’
Cheeky confidence: Hours after sharing the throwback photo on her personal Instagram, Ratajkowski modeled the latest swimsuit from her line Inamorata on the brand’s page
The caption continued: ‘All of that said, I do still feel like I’ve been empowered through my body and my sexuality via modeling and platforms like Instagram.
‘Luckily I have discovered the parts of me that are so much more important than “sexiness”, but if you’re a 14-year-old girl reading this, don’t worry about any of that for now.
‘Read lots of books and know that what you see on Instagram is just a very small fraction of complete and beautifully complex human beings.’
The post was met with an outpouring of support from Ratajkowski’s fans and a few of her famous friends.
Singer Selena Gomez, commented a trio of ‘clapping hand’ emojis and wrote: ‘Love this, love you!!’
‘You are beautiful inside & out!’ Paris Hilton commented.
Instagram model Chantel Jeffries called Ratajkowski: ‘Queen of inspiration’.
Friends in support: Several celebrities praised Ratajkowski for her throwback photo and heartfelt caption
Ratajkowski revealed earlier this year that she felt ‘ashamed’ of her body when she was a teenager.
‘I developed super young,’ she told People in June. ‘I was criticized, so at 13 I felt really ashamed of my body.’
The model said she wanted her struggle to inspire other teens to be confident in their bodies.
‘I’ve come full circle, and now I’m like: “Do your thing,”‘ she said. ‘I really want young girls to see that and feel that way about themselves.’
Self promotion: The 28-year-old flashed her toned bottom as she modeled the Inamorata Olas suit set while she vacationed in the Maldives
Ratajkowski launched her own intimates and swimwear line, Inamorata, in 2017 with her fashion designer best friend Kat Mendenhall.
The brand’s mission is to encourage women to reject the ‘tired old myths about body image’ and wear clothing that makes them feel good.
Hours after sharing the throwback photo on her personal Instagram page, Ratajkowski modeled her latest swimsuit on the brand account.
The model stood by a luxury pool-side cabana in the Maldives wearing the a muted orange Olas strappy top and thong-style bottom, which are sold separately for $75 a piece.
Real deal: Ratajkowski has often had to fight back against online trolls who have questioned whether her body is natural. She shared the busty snap above on Instagram last week