Support truly
independent journalism
Our mission is to deliver unbiased, fact-based reporting that holds power to account and exposes the truth.
Whether $5 or $50, every contribution counts.
Support us to deliver journalism without an agenda.
Louise Thomas
Editor
Susan Sarandon’s daughter Eva Amurri has defended Oliva Culpo from controversy over the model’s modest wedding dress.
The 39-year-old actor wrote about the backlash over Culpo’s wedding in Rhode Island, which was featured in Vogue last month, in a recent post on her blog. Amurri’s article came shortly after social media users claimed her own wedding gown – which she wore during her private nuptials with chef Ian Hock – was inappropriate.
In June, Culpo walked down the aisle in a long-sleeve white gown with a full-coverage crew neckline. She told Vogue that she chose this look because “didn’t want it to exude sex in any way, shape, or form.” However, some internet users alleged that the model’s minimal makeup look, modest gown and comments gave off “pick-me vibes” – a term used for a woman who seeks male validation.
In her latest blog, Amurri confessed that when she was “processing” some of the rude comments she received from “strangers” over her wedding gown, “someone texted” her about the controversy surrounding Culpo’s look. While she then noted that the influencer got married on the same day as her, Amurri pointed out that their gowns were nothing alike.
“I clicked on [Culpo’s wedding feature inVogue] and immediately saw Olivia looking breathtaking in what can only be described as the exact opposite of my own wedding dress. Very covered, simple with no embellishments, a princess skirt and long sleeves,” Amurri, who wore a strapless Kim Kassas gown with a plunging neckline to her wedding, wrote.
She went on to praise Culpo for achieving some of her goals for the wedding, such as wanting to dress modestly. While she said that Culpo’s look exuded “true confidence and peace and happiness,” she added that the model shouldn’t have had to field comments from critics about her wedding day appearance.
“She had done what she had set out to do, and her day was absolutely perfect for her and for her new husband,” Amurri wrote, referring to the influencer’s partner, NFL star Christian McCaffrey. “When I looked at the images of Olivia on her wedding day (and I don’t know her at all by the way), I wasn’t seeing how right or wrong her dress would be for ME, I was seeing a woman who was stepping gracefully and with power into the next chapter of her life – and who was doing it on her own terms, on HER DAY.”
As she recalled some of the criticism towards Culpo’s look, the Monarch star also questioned what “society” has come to.
Amurri then reiterated that women shouldn’t be told what is and isn’t right for them to wear at their own weddings.
“Two women got married on the same day dressed vastly differently, and neither was ‘right.’ Neither was good enough. Both made a mistake. Both should feel ashamed. Or, at least if you spend any time on the internet, that’s what we were supposed to think,” she wrote. “If I was a ‘W****’ and she was a ‘Nun,’ how does anybody win? What is winning these days? If there are two women getting married the same day, each feeling beautiful and exactly themselves... isn’t that the prize?”
Earlier this month, Sarandon’s eldest daughter hit back at critics who claimed that her dress wasn’t appropriate for her wedding ceremony. “To anyone scandalized by my breasts not being ‘put away’...” she wrote, alongside a picture of her and her husband.
She then shared a zoomed-in image of her chest in a following Instagram story, with the caption: “Feel free to screenshot this for later,” alongside a kissing face emoji.
Days after the wedding, Amurri told People why she chose the wedding gown in the first place. “I love how it has a vintage feel and is ultra feminine without being overly pouffy,” she said. “I wanted to feel sexy but elegant, and I think the dress strikes the perfect balance.”
Meanwhile, Culpo and McCaffrey have also addressed the controversy surrounding their wedding. Last month, they hit back at wedding stylist Kennedy Bingham’s viral TikTok video, in which she claimed the “way that [Culpo] was talking about [her dress]” was “pushing this idea of what she thinks all brides should look like.” Bingham also alleged that Culpo’s comments about the dress appeared to be “marketing and pushing this conservative agenda.”
“Wow what an absolutely evil person you are. I hope no one ever tears you apart in this way because it’s extremely hurtful. I love this dress and it was everything I wanted and more,” the model wrote in the comments of Bingham’s video.
The 28-year-old San Francisco 49ers player also defended his wife in the comment section of the post, writing: “What an evil thing to post online. I hope you can find joy and peace in the world, the way my beautiful wife does.”
