TikToker Addison Rae sparked controversy with one of her recent Instagram uploads, prompting a wave of criticism aimed at the 21-year-old social media star.
The TikTok favorite shared a since-deleted bikini image to her more than 40 million followers in early August, and quickly sparked virulent backlash. The fact that she was wearing a bikini wasn’t the issue, of course — Instagram is exactly the place for scantily-clad snapshots — but rather what the bikini displayed. Here’s a look at the controversy.
The holy trinity bikini controversy
Rae is no stranger to bikini content, with her most recent — non-controversial — bikini shot hitting her Instagram just three days back, on Aug. 1. The offending bikini didn’t show any more skin than the brightly colored, flower-speckled piece she wore a few days earlier, but it did display something innately contentious: religious phrasing.
The bikini, an all-white piece from the brand Praying, features the words “father” and “son” over the left and right top pieces, and “holy spirit” over the front portion of the bottoms. It can be purchased in various colors from Praying’s online store. A shot of Rae in the suit, which was made in collaboration with Adidas, according to Page Six, rocketed Rae to the forefront of online discourse, and quickly sparked a debate about both the social media star and the outfit she donned.
A number of Rae’s fans and followers praised the image, calling it a “home run” and commended Rae for her decision to post it. Others heaped criticism on the photo and the bikini, condemning the suit as “blasphemous” and offensive.
Rae responded to the backlash by deleting the photo, and quickly worked to move on from her apparent misstep. She plugged a teaser for her upcoming line of Bonkers toys, and has yet to address the controversy on any of her socials. Instead, she’s got her sights set on a slew of projects, like her recent Snapchat original series Addison Rae Goes Home.
