Two Australian podcast hosts have weighed in on Olivia Culpo’s divisive wedding dress – and one has shared a new theory about the massive furore surrounding the gown.
American model Olivia, 32, exchanged vows with Christian McCaffrey at a Rhode Island chapel over the weekend in a conservative Dolce & Gabbana gown, and her dress quickly became the talk of the town.
A style influencer boldly called out Olivia for comments she made about the dress in a subsequent interview with Vogue, sparking a heated debate online.
TikToker Kennedy Bingham, known as Gown Eyed Girl, took issue with Olivia, who often models swimsuits for Sports Illustrated, saying she didn’t want her dress to “exude sex,” claiming there was “internalized misogyny” in the star’s reasoning.
Olivia said Fashion She ‘didn’t want it to exude sex in any way, shape or form’ on her big day.
“When I think about Christian and what he likes and the moments when he thinks I’m the most beautiful, it’s absolutely that way: timeless, covered up and elegant,” she said in an interview with the magazine.
Australian podcasters Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne have joined the debate during a passionate discussion surrounding Kennedy’s allegations of misogyny.
While Brittany defended Olivia and argued that her comments were taken “out of context,” Laura raised questions about the model, saying that her husband thinks she is more “beautiful” in “covered up” clothes.
Podcasters have weighed in on a heated debate over Olivia Culpo’s divisive wedding dress (pictured) by sharing a new theory about the massive furore surrounding the gown.
On his life without cuts podcastThe couple argued that the criticism came from their comments about the dress, rather than the fact that she opted for a more traditional look.
Laura suggested people were outraged because they might have interpreted Olivia’s comments as suggesting that brides who opt for more revealing dresses “don’t take their weddings seriously”.
“What people are concerned about is this association between Olivia taking her wedding seriously and wanting a dress that reflects that,” she said.
‘I guess the implication is that if someone wears a more revealing dress, they don’t take their marriage seriously.’
Laura also spoke about what Olivia said about Christian liking how she looks more in “covered up” clothes and wondered if there was an issue with “internalized misogyny.”
She said: ‘You’re saying that the reason you chose that dress is because your partner likes you more, thinks you’re more beautiful when you’re fully covered, which is a very interesting way to view someone when their job is to be a swimsuit model.
‘So, you met her as a swimsuit model, but now that she’s your wife, you want her to be covered up. There’s this expectation or thought that you can be one way, but then when you’re a wife, you have to be more demure, be more covered up.’
“I think maybe there’s a bit of the Madonna-w**re complex in this, this idea that you could have sex with someone you see casually, full-on passionate sex with them, but you wouldn’t have sex with your wife in that way,” he added.
However, her best friend and co-host Brittany strongly disagreed, arguing that the comments were taken out of context.
“I think it’s been taken out of context, I don’t agree with that statement at all,” he said, insisting Olivia had simply worded her comments “incorrectly.”
‘He fell in love with her, like you said, as a swimsuit model, he loves her as a swimsuit model, he loves her exactly the way she is, with everything she wears.
“I have a problem with the word covered, but I think it has been taken out of context,” he added.
American model Olivia, 32, exchanged vows with Christian McCaffrey (pictured 2023) at a Rhode Island chapel over the weekend – but her dress quickly became the talk of the town.
“I guarantee you that every single person here has an opinion about a specific way their partner dresses that they really love,” she insisted.
‘For them, a very religious couple, on their wedding day, in a church, in front of their friends, she chose to wear a covered up dress and I don’t think she deserves the hate she’s getting.’
Brittany went on to slam the online furor and social media users for commenting on the dress in the first place.
“I think this whole thing is absolutely ridiculous,” he said of the big debate.
“I was actually furious with people commenting horribly on Olivia’s Instagram and on her own photos about how horrible she was and how horrible she looked.”
“I think people have taken it too seriously. After all, it’s a person’s wedding,” she added.
Laura agreed that people were wrong to attack Olivia with vitriol, but argued that she was inviting opinions by making so much press around the wedding.
One TikToker took issue with Olivia (pictured with Christian before her wedding) saying she didn’t want her dress to “exude sex” and said there was “internalized misogyny” in her reasoning.
She argued: ‘If you don’t want people to have an opinion, don’t do any press around your wedding!’
Her comments come after Olivia and her new husband, Christian, responded to the style influencer who initially criticized the model for her comments.
After influencer Kennedy, known as Gown Eyed Girl, raised questions about Olivia’s divisive comments about her wedding dress, Olivia was quick to respond.
Olivia told Kennedy: “Wow, what an evil person you are. I hope no one rips you to pieces like this because it is extremely painful. I love this dress and it was everything I ever wanted and more.”
However, Kennedy argued that she was not criticising the dress itself, but was merely questioning her comments and her decision to work with Dolce & Gabanna, who have been embroiled in controversy over their comments on IVF and have been accused of racism.
She replied: ‘So we’re not going to acknowledge how your words reach other people or the backgrounds of the designers you’re supporting?’
Olivia’s new husband, Christian, also stood by his wife amid the criticism, calling Kennedy’s now-viral post “mean.”
Now, Australian podcasters Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley (pictured in October) have joined the debate by holding a passionate discussion about accusations of misogyny.
“What a wicked thing to post on the internet,” the San Francisco 49ers star wrote. “I hope you can find joy and peace in the world, like my beautiful wife does.”
But Kennedy responded: “@christianmccaffrey So the bad thing is to point out the potential internalized misogyny behind his reasoning…”
The TikToker, who has almost 100,000 followers, sparked a debate by sharing her opinions on Olivia’s wedding dress and her comments on it.
In a nearly six-minute-long clip, Kennedy said she didn’t like the dress because of Olivia’s comments, first describing the dress itself as “elegant” and “simple.”
“It’s the material around the dress that leaves a bitter aftertaste,” she said, referring to Olivia’s comments to Vogue about not wanting to “exude sex” that day.
“There’s nothing wrong with wanting a modest wedding dress, or just modest attire in general,” she continued, stating that Olivia had “pushed this idea of what she thinks all brides should look like.”
“Treating this as a sexless design seems really strange to me because on the one hand, it’s your choice if you don’t want to exude sex in this dress, but also, if people want to sexualize you, it’s not your fault if they do,” she continued.
Amid the furor, Olivia (pictured at her bachelorette party) and her new husband Christian responded to the style influencer who originally shared the TikTok criticizing the model.
Olivia called influencer Kennedy Bingham an “evil” person, but Bingham quickly fired back and doubled down on her argument.
‘Their two statements, side by side, are a very eloquent way of saying that you are asking for whatever you are wearing, which is an extremely damaging way of thinking.’
“She even says that her husband thinks she is more beautiful when she is timeless, covered and elegant. I think the use of the word ‘covered’ is very unpleasant because you are not covered in everyday life,” she added.
“And besides, why does he think you’re the most beautiful when you’re covered? That’s very strange.”
Kennedy also boldly argued that Olivia was promoting a “conservative agenda” before turning her attention back to the wedding dress.
“This dress has no personality,” she continued. “It’s nothing. It’s the absence of personality.”
In closing, Kennedy said: “It’s very clear that this was not a wedding. It was a conservative campaign and it wasn’t even well done.”
