Regé-Jean Page has spoken candidly about his decision to publicly defend Florence Pugh after she faced “vulgar” criticism for wearing a sheer Valentino dress.
Last week, the Little Women star, 26, shared photos of herself wearing a bright pink, transparent gown to Valentino’s haute couture show in Rome on Instagram. The post sparked backlash among her followers, however, with Pugh addressing the body-shaming comments in a lengthy post two days later.
In the caption, Pugh said it had been “interesting to watch and witness just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman’s body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see” before noting that “what’s worrying is just how vulgar some of you men can be”.
Pugh’s response was met with support from many of her followers and peers, including Page, who reposted it on his Instagram Stories and encouraged his followers to “read the caption” and reflect on their own attitudes.
“Read the caption. Take a look at yourself fellas.Then take a look at your mates and step up when it’s time to step up. When the boys are out of line, have a word,” the former Bridgerton star wrote, before adding that the “weird thing about misogyny is men actually listen to other men”.
While walking the red carpet at the premiere of Page’s new film The Gray Man on Wednesday, the actor was asked by Variety about his choice to speak out in defence of Pugh. He explained that it “was easy” because she had made a “really good point”.
“It was easy. She made a really good point, and I thought that it was worth saying again,” Page said. “You know, say it louder for the kids in the back.”
As for the photos of Pugh in question, Page said they showed the actor in “all her glory”.
“You saw Florence. You saw Florence in all her glory,” Page continued, before adding: “Like I said, she made a good point and it’s as simple as that, no more no less. She said something that I thought people needed to hear and so I said it again.”
Page was not the only celebrity to applaud Pugh for her response, as Jameela Jamil and Joey King also praised the actor.
“You’re a magical f**king queen and we do not deserve you,” Jamil wrote under Pugh’s Instagram post, while King commented: “You are truly so amazing. You put into words what so many feel but can’t articulate.”
