As far as celebrities go, Hilary Duff has presented herself more conservatively in the public eyes than most. In a day when Britney Spears was facing backlash from keyboard commandos for her nude Instagram photos, saying that they indicated that she was a questionable parent, it’s not hard to see why Duff has preserved a more traditional image of motherhood on her social media feeds. But at a time when politicians want to wield control over a woman’s body once again, Duff’s nude cover shoot for Women’s Health magazine makes a powerful statement in controlling her own narrative.
The Lizzie McGuire star posed nude for the most recent edition of the magazine’s popular “The Body Issue.” In Duff’s interview with Women’s Health, she spoke about body positivity, especially in the face of motherhood, saying, “I’ve gotten to a place of being peaceful with the changes my body has gone through.” She posted a slew of the images on her Instagram feed, and commented the following:
“Sooooo, this was scary….. I knew doing this would terrify me and I was right! @womenshealthmag had the most lovely all-women shoot and I actually had the best time. I felt strong and beautiful and laughed a lot getting into some of these poses without my high waisted mom jeans and oversized whatever I normally wear. Thank you to everyone who normalized this day for me and propped me up with compliments and love…. @daniellamidenge I love these photos so much, thank you for capturing a moment in time where I felt both completely vulnerable but powerful.”
Kudos to Duff for expressing herself the way she wants to. Just like Spears, she proves that her own nude self-expression online isn’t necessarily a comment on her ability as a mother. Instead, it’s simply what she wanted to do for herself.
