Emily Ratajkowski reveals why she included essay on Blurred Lines ‘groping’ in new book
‘I had a hard time writing that essay’: Emily Ratajkowski describes her anguish at writing about Robin Thicke’s alleged groping on Blurred Lines video set in new book and says she’d previously ‘told the world the experience was empowering’
The model explained the essay, part of her new book My Body, on Thursday Ratajkowski was 21 when she danced topless in the video with two other modelsThe model, 30, called the video ’empowering’ and said she ‘trusted’ the womenShe says the essay ‘says so much about the evolution of my beliefs and politics’This month, she revealed that singer Robin Thicke groped her breasts on setIf she had complained, she said, ‘I would not be where I am today’
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Emily Ratajkowski has shared her anguish over her decision to accuse Robin Thicke of groping her in her new book, saying her ‘beliefs and politics evolved’ to the point where she couldn’t remain silent any longer.
Ratajkowski was 21 years old when she danced topless in the video for the song, a massive hit that spent 12 weeks atop the Billboard Hot 100.
Earlier this month, the model accused singer Robin Thicke, 44, of ‘groping’ her bare breasts as they shot the suggestive clip in 2013.
On Thursday, she took to Instagram to offer a further explanation of why she made the claim.
She said she included an essay about her experiences on set in her new book, My Body, because ‘it says so much about the evolution of my beliefs and politics.’
‘I had a hard time writing that essay for a bunch of different reasons,’ Emily began in a lengthy post shared during an Instagram Q&A on Thursday
Earlier this month, the 30-year-old model accused singer Robin Thicke of ‘groping’ her bare breasts as they shot the suggestive music video for the hit Blurred Lines in 2013
‘I had a hard time writing that essay for a bunch of different reasons,’ Emily began in a lengthy post shared during an Instagram Q&A on Thursday.
Ratajkowski, 30, said that before the video, ‘most of my jobs at that point kind of sucked.
‘I was either shooting e-commerce for online stores where I felt like nothing more than a mannequin or I’d be in lingerie while some middle aged male photographer’s [sic] told me to pout,’ she recalled in the essay, aptly titled after the hit song.
In the music video, Ratjkowski and fellow models Elle Evans and Jessi M’Bengue famously danced topless with Thicke and collaborators Pharrell and rapper TI.
The women paraded in front of a balloon sign reading: ‘Robin Thicke has a big d***.’
Ratajkowski’s book My Body, out on November 9, has been met with rave reviews from critics
At one point in the video, Thicke whispers in Ratajkowski’s ear: ‘I know you want it,’ a line that critics say perpetuates rape culture and got the song banned from multiple universities.
Ratajkowski thought ‘[Blurred Lines] was different’ because she ‘was surrounded by women I liked and trusted’ and she actually ‘had fun on set,’ she writes.
She continued: ‘Being a sexy girl in a music video made me feel hot and cool and powerful. I told the world that the experience was empowering. In many ways it was.’
To close out her post, Ratajkowski told her followers that they’d ‘have to read the essay to fully understand the other sides to my experience.’
On a lighter note, one of Emily’s fans informed her during the Q&A that they had ‘cited one of [her] essays for my MFA thesis.’
The fan then thanked Emily and expressed their excitement over getting their hands on the book, which hits shelves on November 9, according to Amazon.
The $18.29 book has gotten rave reviews from critics.
The Chicago Tribune called it a ‘provocative curve ball, with absorbing essays on beauty and consent.’
Before the career-making cameo, Emily said that ‘most of my jobs at that point kind of sucked’ and that the modeling work was often dehumanizing
Emily thought ‘[Blurred Lines] was different’ because she ‘was surrounded by women I liked and trusted’ and she actually ‘had fun on set’
Time Magazine wrote that Ratajkowski ‘brings nuanced insight to questions about empowerment versus commodification of women’s bodies and sexuality,’ according to a critic roundup on Amazon.
Thicke has been seemingly keeping a low-profile in recent weeks after Emily made her sexual assault allegations public.
Though it was originally reported by the Sunday Times Of London, the full story of the 30-year-old model’s alleged incident with Thicke is featured in My Body.
‘Suddenly, out of nowhere, I felt the coolness and foreignness of a stranger’s hands cupping my bare breasts from behind. I instinctively moved away, looking back at Robin Thicke,’ she claimed.
Emily also commented on the hitmaker’s behavior after the alleged incident and implied that he did not take his actions seriously.
‘He smiled a goofy grin and stumbled backward, his eyes concealed behind his sunglasses,’ Ratajkowski wrote of Thicke after he allegedly groped her breasts in 2013
‘He smiled a goofy grin and stumbled backward, his eyes concealed behind his sunglasses.’
In an attempt to salvage the moment, Emily attempted to shrug off the alleged groping for the rest of the shoot.
‘I pushed my chin forward and shrugged, avoiding eye contact, feeling the heat of humiliation pump through my body. I didn’t react – not really, not like I should have,’ she wrote.
Coming forward to support Emily’s recounting of events was the video’s director Diane Martel.
‘I remember the moment that he grabbed her breasts. One in each hand. He was standing behind her as they were both in profile,’ she claimed. ‘I screamed in my very aggressive Brooklyn voice, “What the f*** are you doing, that’s it!! The shoot is over!!”‘
The filmmaker later claimed that Thicke’s drinking habits had contributed to the incident, stating: ‘I don’t think he would have done this had he been sober.’
Ratajkowski later spoke to People and gave the media outlet her reason for not going public with her allegation at the time.
Lighter note: On a lighter note, one of Emily’s fans informed her during the Q&A that they had ‘cited one of [her] essays for my MFA thesis’
‘I was an unknown model and if I had spoken out or complained, I would not be where I am today; I would not be famous,’ she told the outlet.
The runway regular also expressed that she wrote the book with the intention of having her readers attempt to empathize with her feelings and experience.
‘I hope people are able to read the essay and understand the nuance behind these kinds of situations,’ she said.
Ratajkowski was born in London to a pair of American school teachers.
She attended high school in San Diego, California and had a tiny role in the Nickelodeon show iCarly in 2009 before her break in the Blurred Lines video a few years later.
After that, she appeared in the hit movie Gone Girl with Ben Affleck, the HBO show Entourage and walked the runway for fashion houses like Versace and Miu Miu.
Thicke has not made any public comments or given an official statement regarding the allegation as of yet.
