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Supermodel Paulina Porizkova is baring it all in her fight against ageism in Hollywood by posing totally nude on the cover of a magazine, which celebrates the ‘gray pride movement’ while hailing the 56-year-old as one of its leaders.
The former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model looks worlds away from an ‘old lady’ on her un-edited cover, which sees her modeling glamorous makeup, a rich tan, and long blonde locks that tumble over her shoulders and cover her chest.
In an accompanying interview with Los Angeles Magazine, Paulina opened up about how she has learned to embrace her appearance as it has changed over the years, recalling the first time that she felt ‘invisible’ because of her age and hitting out at those who suggest she should ‘retire’ from the public eye because she is over 50.
Baring it all: Supermodel Paulina Porizkova proudly bared her body for a nude shoot for Los Angeles Magazine, in which she opens up about dealing with ageism in Hollywood
Finishing touches: The 56-year-old proudly ‘celebrated her body’ by baring it all during the shoot, with behind-the-scenes footage showing her being prepped for her stunning images
‘In with the olds!’ The magazine hails Paulina as one of the leaders of the ‘gray pride movement’
‘Most of the reactions have been overwhelmingly positive,’ she said of the response to her candid posts on Instagram, where she regularly shares makeup-free selfies, bikini snaps, and the occasional nude photo of herself.
‘But the negative ones have been so mean. They’re like, “You’re so desperate,” or, “It’s time to retire, grandma.” But I looked at those pictures of myself without makeup or without clothes, and I just thought, “Hey, I look pretty good for my age.”‘
Sharing her newly-released cover on Instagram, the model once again shut down any ageist critics, writing: ‘For all of you who have an issue with an older woman celebrating her body and age, there is an unfollow button.
‘Don’t make an a** of yourself by showing us all you don’t know how to use it.’
Although she now feels comfortable and confident ‘celebrating her body and age’, Paulina admitted to the publication that it took some time for her to come to terms with how the rest of the world viewed her as a woman in her 50s – particularly when compared to the attention she once received as a young supermodel.
Work it! The model recalled the first time that she ever felt ‘invisible’ because of her age, saying that the moment came during a trip to Las Vegas six years ago
Pride: Sharing her new cover on Instagram, Paulina took aim at ageist critics, urging anyone who ‘has an issue with an older woman celebrating her body and age’ to unfollow her
Flow: Paulina was given long blonde extensions for the shoot, which she used to cover her chest while posing nude
Recalling a trip to Las Vegas six years ago, the fashion favorite revealed her shock and upset at realizing that she ‘wasn’t getting noticed’.
At the time, Paulina was traveling with her then-husband of more than two decades, Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, who passed away in September 2019, months after the couple announced their separation.
‘I was walking through the casino, and I thought I looked really hot, like I was sauntering down a runway,’ Paulina shared.
‘But I wasn’t getting noticed. In the past, there’d always been this tiny bit of friction when I walked through a crowd—this infinitesimal moment of awareness.
‘But that night in Vegas, for the first time, there was none of that; it was like nobody even saw me.’
When she ‘finally’ spotted a man approaching her, she was left all the more deflated to discover that he simply wanted to ask her where the nearest bathroom was.
‘It was my first brush with invisibility,’ she said of the incident.
Companions: As well as posing in her birthday suit, she also modeled a blazer and black lingerie while dancing alongside two co-stars
For the fans! She also snapped several behind-the-scenes selfies while she was having her hair and makeup done
Looking back: Paulina said she first felt ‘invisible’ as a result of her age during a trip to Vegas with her then-husband Ric Ocasek, who passed away in September 2019 (seen in 2016)
In the years since, Paulina has publicly embraced her natural looks, regularly celebrating her wrinkles online while speaking out against trolls who bash her for posting risque images of herself.
However, the model is well aware that – while she is comfortable with her appearance and her age – older women are consistently being ‘squeezed out of the picture’, as Los Angeles magazine puts in, in favor of younger generations.
‘It’s crazy,’ Paulina says of the inequality that so many women her age face, be it in corporate careers or in Hollywood. ‘It isn’t right.’
This latest interview is not the first time that the model has addressed the issue – which has become one of the main focuses of her Instagram posts in recent years, particularly when it comes to calling out critics who troll her images and urge her to get plastic surgery.
In February, Paulina – who has never had any form of plastic surgery or cosmetic injection – took aim at several of her most outspoken trolls, re-posting their comments on her feed to show what ‘an aging public figure woman has to deal with on a daily basis.’
One user told the mom-of-two that she was ‘not aging well’ and said that she should ‘go get some work done’, adding that the skincare products Paulina was using ‘are not working’.
If you’ve got it… The model has faced bitter backlash from trolls on social media, who insist she needs to ‘retire’ because of her age
Candid: As well as glamorous shots, Paulina has also been documenting her struggle with grief in the wake of her ex-husband’s 2019 death – and her anger at him cutting her from his will
Natural: She insists that she has never had any cosmetic injections or plastic surgery, but says she ‘understands’ that some people get them to ‘feel good’
‘Honey just go get some work done you are not aging well, all the other old supermodels are doing it why not!?!’ the comment read.
‘You are spending all this money on products they are not working, just do it! Lower face lift, some filler and Botox it will make you feel great! Then you will find a nice man!!!! [sic].’
Paulina further detailed her thoughts on cosmetic procedures during her interview with Los Angeles Magazine, explaining that she ‘used to be very judgmental’ about it when she was younger, however she has since adjusted her opinion.
‘I don’t blame anybody for wanting to look younger,’ she said. ‘I understand doing a bit of Botox, a little bit of filler, to feel good about yourself because looking younger is more accepted by society.’
However, the model urged people to focus their efforts on changing society’s views on aging – rather than trying to adjust their own appearance in order to fit narrow and outdated standards of beauty.
‘Really, the way to fix [society’s attitudes about aging] isn’t to try to look younger—it’s to get the world to embrace older people the way we are,’ she insisted.
Source: dailymail
