Natalie Portman Apologizes to Jessica Simpson, Clarifies Her Original Statements

Natalie Portman has issued a response to Jessica Simpson.

If you missed it, earlier in the day, Jessica called out Natalie for some comments she made in an interview about Jessica’s bikini photo published years ago. Jessica asked that Natalie “not shame other women for their choices.”

Natalie took to the comments of Jessica‘s Instagram to respond to her directly, writing, “Thank you for your words. I completely agree with you that a woman should be allowed to dress however she likes and behave however she likes and not be judged. I only meant to say I was confused – as a girl coming of age in the public eye around the same time – by the media’s mixed messages about how girls and women were supposed to behave.”

“I didn’t mean to shame you and I’m sorry for any hurt my words may have caused. I have nothing but respect for your talent and you voice that you use to encourage and empower women all over the globe,” Natalie added.

During an interview earlier this week, Natalie stated to USA Today, “I remember being a teenager, and there was Jessica Simpson on the cover of a magazine saying ‘I’m a virgin’ while wearing a bikini, and I was confused. Like, I don’t know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl.”