A Massachusetts swimwear designer has faced withering criticism online after being accused of “fat-shaming” Amy Schumer over the comedian’s appearance on the cover of InStyle magazine’s first-ever “beauty issue.”
The 35-year-old Trainwreck actress appears on the May cover of InStyle dressed in a white, one-piece Ralph Lauren swimsuit and floating in a pool.
“It was important to me to have someone representing beauty who is representative of more than a small part of the population,” InStyle editor-in-chief Laura Brown told WWD of the choice to feature Schumer on the cover. “Also, she has a voice. And that is really what I rely on and prioritize in every single person in the magazine. The fact that she looks freaking hot in a one-piece is no small delight.”
However, when the magazine’s official Instagram account posted a shot of the cover, at least one commenter said Schumer was the wrong choice.
“Come on now!” wrote Dana Duggan of South Shore Swimwear in Massachusetts. “You could not find anyone better for this cover? Not everyone should be in a swimsuit.”
The swimwear designer quickly faced a deluge of commenters who accused Duggan of “fat-shaming” the actress.
“Not everyone should be in a swimsuit?! Swimwear is not just for women who are a size 2!” wrote one commenter. “She is a real woman with a real body. Bravo to @instylemagazine for showcasing her. She looks beautiful.”
“You’re shallow and tacky,” another commenter wrote to Duggan. “And your swimwear looks like crap.”
After facing a barrage of criticism, the designer reportedly set her social media accounts to private, according to the Daily Mail.
But Duggan stood by her initial comment in a statement to the Huffington Post, telling the outlet that Schumer looks “like a pig” and that she was simply practicing her right to freedom of speech.
“I can have my opinion and you can have yours,” Duggan said. “I’m tired of the media and publications trying to push the FAT agenda. It’s not healthy and it’s not pretty. What is wrong with featuring healthy and fit cover models?”
For her part, Schumer has battled with fat-shaming “trolls” in the past.
In May, the Comedy Central star posted a photograph of herself in a swimsuit in Hawaii and said she felt “happy.”
“I meant to write ‘good morning trolls!'” she captioned the photo. “I hope you find some joy in your lives today in a human interaction and not just in writing unkind things to a stranger you’ve never met who triggers something in you that makes you feel powerless and alone.”
Schumer is certainly confident in her appearance. In 2015, she posed semi-nude for Pirelli’s annual calendar, and also posed topless for the cover of her 2016 book of memoirs, The Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo.
In March, Schumer generated headlines when she accused Internet trolls of conspiring to bring down the ratings of her Netflix stand-up special, the Leather Special. The show held a one-star average review on the streaming service until the five-star system was replaced with a thumbs-up system this week.
The comedian and actress is set to appear next in the comedy movie Snatched alongside Goldie Hawn, set for release in May.
Follow Daniel Nussbaum on Twitter: @dznussbaum