Natalie Portman Apologizes To Jessica Simpson After Shaming Her Old Bikini-Clad Magazine Cover

She’s extended an olive branch. Natalie Portman responded to Jessica Simpson with a heartfelt message on Dec. 5, after commenting on a 1999 bikini shoot the singer did during a recent interview. Natalie apologized for causing any hurt with the remarks she made about Jessica’s magazine cover.

“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,” Natalie replied to Jessica. “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 your voice that you use to encourage and empower women all over the globe.”

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The drama started when Natalie seemingly threw shade at Jessica during her interview with 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,” the actress said. “Like, I don’t know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl.” Jessica later took to social media to express how offended she was by Natalie’s comments on Dec. 5. “Sexy is not synonymous with having sex,” Jessica clarified in her statement about the bikini photo, while also tagging Natalie’s page.

“@Natalieportman- I was disappointed this morning when I read that I ‘confused’ you by wearing a bikini in a published photo taken of me when I was still a virgin in 1999,” Jessica began. The singer addressed how there are a lot of stereotypes in Hollywood, noting how Natalie should understand how frustrating it is to be boxed in by labels. “However, I was taught to be myself and honor the different ways all women express themselves, which is why I believed then — and I believe now — that being sexy in a bikini and being proud of my body are not synonymous with having sex,” she added.

Jessica concluded her initial statement by explaining that she always has put a solid effort into being a good role model, to show other women that they can “look however they want, wear whatever they want, and have sex or not have sex with whomever they want,” she wrote. “In this era of Time’s Up and all the great work you have done for women, I encourage you to do the same.”