In 2003, Evan Rachel Wood was on the cover of Vanity Fair along with Amanda Bynes, Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen, Mandy Moore, Hilary Duff, Alexis Bledel, Raven Symone, and Lindsay Lohan. What a year to be alive! One Twitter fan was having a major nostalgic moment and tweeted the photo to Ms. Wood with the caption “never forget.” Well, she hasn’t forgotten, but unfortunately, all the memories she has of the shoot are bad ones. She went off on a Twitter rant about it, and I gotta say, my empathy meter is running low on this one. Let’s check out the tweets:
I was almost in tears after this shoot. They tried that dress on me, I wasnt comfortable but they told me there was no time– @katiexwright
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 15, 2014
— cause everyone else took up too much time with their fittings. Then I was given a choice on whether I– @katiexwright
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 15, 2014
–wanted to wear flats or heels. I chose flats and was immediately handed heels and told they looked better. Then we were– @katiexwright
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 15, 2014
–all lined up, stared at and approved. I was 15 and felt for the first time my identity being erased and the pressure– @katiexwright
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 15, 2014
— to shut up and do what you are told. I felt like meat. Since then, I have found my voice. Never again. #neverforget @katiexwright
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 15, 2014
Side note , I have shot the cover of “vanity fair” since and had a much different experience. It was quite lovely. ????
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 15, 2014
I begged for pants. “@YouWonScience: @katiexwright I’m surprised any of you were allowed to wear pants, ridiculous”
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 15, 2014
I think when you are young and inexperienced and shy you can be bullied more. I learned to say no. @rachelm97x
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 16, 2014
To all the haters. I am not complaining about being on the cover of vanity fair. I understand I am very privileged and there are far worse–
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 18, 2014
— thing to go through. My point was that things arent always what they seem. Especially in this industry. What may seem glamorous–
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 18, 2014
–sometimes comes at a price. I only want to encourage other young girls to stay true to who they are. No matter what. Hold on to your self.
— Evan Rachel Wood (@evanrachelwood) October 18, 2014
Okay, look. I get her point — young women are often exploited in Hollywood, and that sucks, and it isn’t all wonderfully glamorous. But I guess I’m a “hater”, because I really don’t see the point in complaining about a magazine shoot you did over a decade ago. I’m so sorry that Ms. Wood’s great struggle of flats vs. heels was so damaging that it still bothers her. I doubt Vanity Fair will ask her to ever do another shoot after this. But this is just my own opinion, and her comments, while rubbing me the wrong way, may ring true and inspiring to someone else, and I’m okay with that. Whatever works for you.
P.S. Can we talk about the awful and ugly dress they put Mandy Moore in? That’s the real shame here.
I still can’t tell the difference between ERW and Alexis Bleidel. Or Amber Tamblyn. Or Jena Malone.
I think you’re missing the point — she was prompted and she answered. She didn’t raise the topic. It wasn’t about flats or heels but rather about being treated like a piece of meat. For someone who identifies as feminist, I’m surprised I’m not seeing any empathy about this. They were 15 at the time.
They probably got paid well it’s a fashion magazine did they expect to bring their own clothing? They probably got paid more than I make in a year at 15 so it’s kinda hard to empathize when they bitch about it
This so reminds me of the cover Rachel Adams walked out on because they were demanding nudity. She was also hella young. I totally agree with the point she was making, also think the flats vs heels debate was hilarious and not useful to what she was trying to get across. Focus, ERW!
It’s sort of the business she asked to be brought into. No one forced her to get into show business, and everyone knows of the ugly side (including her parents who had to legally sign off on it), so while I feel bad that anyone is made to feel like a piece of meat, what do you expect when you work in a butcher shop like Hollywood?
I was given thousands to do a shoot and they FORCED ME to wear heels and a dress when I wanted flats and pants. Oh Woe is me.