Emily O'Hara Ratajkowski
( ,
; born June 7, 1991)
is an American model and actress. Born in London to American parents and raised in
Encinitas, California, she signed to
Ford Models
Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford.
History 20th century
Eileen and Jerry began the bu ...
at a young age. Her modeling debut was on the cover of the March 2012 issue of the erotic magazine ''
treats!
''treats!'' (often referred to as ''Treats'', ''Treats!'', ''Treats Magazine'' or ''Treats! Magazine'') is an American pornographic magazine featuring models and celebrities. ''treats! owner, Steve Shaw, and several media organisations descr ...
,'' which led to her appearance in several music videos, including
Robin Thicke's "
Blurred Lines", which catapulted her to global fame.
Ratajkowski's feature film debut was a supporting role as the mistress of
Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
's character in the film ''
Gone Girl'' (2014). She appeared in the 2014 and 2015
''Sports Illustrated'' swimsuit issues, and made her professional
catwalk modeling debut for
Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...
at
New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning seven to nine days when international Fashion design, fashion collections are shown to buyers, the pres ...
in 2015. She has also walked on the runways of
Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week (, commonly ) is a series of designer presentations held semi-annually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Pa ...
and
Milan Fashion Week
Milan Fashion Week () is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. Upcoming autumn/winter fashions are showcased in February/March of each year, and upcoming spring/summer fashions are showcased in September/October of each year ...
. For her international ''
Vogue'' covers and high fashion campaigns, Models.com ranks her as one of the new generation of supermodels.
Ratajkowski is an advocate for
women's health
Women's health is an example of population health, where health is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity". Often treated ...
issues as a spokesperson for
Planned Parenthood
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization . As a self-identified
feminist
Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideology, ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social gender equality, equality of the sexes. Feminism holds the position that modern soci ...
, Ratajkowski has received both support and criticism for her views on sexual expression. Her essay collection, ''My Body'', was published by
Metropolitan Books in November 2021 and was on the
''New York Times'' Bestseller list.
Early life
Emily O'Hara Ratajkowski was born June 7, 1991
[ in ]Westminster
Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...
, London, the only child of American school teachers Kathleen Anne Balgley and John David "J.D." Ratajkowski. She was raised in the San Diego suburb of Encinitas, California. She attended UCLA
The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Its academic roots were established in 1881 as a normal school then known as the southern branch of the C ...
for a year before dropping out to model full-time. Her father was raised Roman Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...
, whereas her mother is Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
. Ratajkowski has stated that she ethnically identifies herself as " Polish- Israeli", as her ancestors made aliyah
''Aliyah'' (, ; ''ʿălīyyā'', ) is the immigration of Jews from Jewish diaspora, the diaspora to, historically, the geographical Land of Israel or the Palestine (region), Palestine region, which is today chiefly represented by the Israel ...
from Central Europe. She also has Irish ancestry. She spent her summers during her youth in Bantry
Bantry () is a town in the civil parish of Kilmocomoge in the barony of Bantry on the southwest coast of County Cork, Ireland. It lies in West Cork at the head of Bantry Bay, a deep-water gulf extending for to the west. The Beara Peninsula i ...
, County Cork
County Cork () is the largest and the southernmost Counties of Ireland, county of Republic of Ireland, Ireland, named after the city of Cork (city), Cork, the state's second-largest city. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster ...
, Ireland and Sant Joan, Mallorca
Mallorca, or Majorca, is the largest of the Balearic Islands, which are part of Spain, and the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, seventh largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.
The capital of the island, Palma, Majorca, Palma, i ...
, Spain where the family vacationed.
Ratajkowski tried soccer, acting, and ballet before modeling. She participated in a few local theater productions as a child and young teen. Exposure to the nude female figure in photography and art during her formative years, including the work of her father and the photography of Helmut Newton
Helmut Newton (né Neustädter; 31 October 192023 January 2004) was a German-Australian photographer. The ''The New York Times, New York Times'' described him as a "prolific, widely imitated fashion photographer whose provocative, erotically ch ...
and Herb Ritts
Herbert Ritts Jr. (August 13, 1952 – December 26, 2002) was an American fashion photographer and director known for his photographs of celebrities, models, and other cultural figures throughout the 1980s and 1990s. His work concentrated on b ...
, prepared Ratajkowski for nude work. She has said, "We have this culture of men, especially, watching pornography, but then offended by a classic nude portrait or photograph, and I've never felt that way." She was also influenced by third-wave feminism
Third-wave feminism is a feminist movement that began in the early 1990s, prominent in the decades prior to the fourth-wave feminism, fourth wave. Grounded in the civil-rights advances of the second-wave feminism, second wave, Generation X, Gen X ...
and works such as '' The Beauty Myth'' and ''Promiscuities'' by Naomi Wolf
Naomi Rebekah Wolf (born 1962) is an American feminist author, journalist, and conspiracy theorist.
After the 1991 publication of her first book, '' The Beauty Myth'', Wolf became a prominent figure in the third wave of the feminist movemen ...
.
Career
Early acting and music video performances
With encouragement from an acting coach, Ratajkowski met and signed with a talent agent who contacted Ford Models
Ford Models, originally the Ford Modeling Agency, is an American international modeling agency based in New York City. It was established in 1946 by Eileen Ford and her husband Gerard W. Ford.
History 20th century
Eileen and Jerry began the bu ...
. That same day, she signed with Ford at age 14 and went on to do teen print catalog modeling for Kohl's
Kohl's Corporation (Kohl's is stylized in all caps) is an American department store retail chain store, chain. currently has 1,165 locations, operating stores in every U.S. state except Hawaii. The company was founded by Polish immigrant Maxwe ...
and Nordstrom
Nordstrom, Inc. () is an American Luxury goods, luxury department store chain headquartered in Seattle, Washington, and founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin in 1901. The original store operated exclusively as a shoe store, and a seco ...
. At 15, Ratajkowski began auditioning for Disney and ''iCarly'' roles,[ but she was often typecast as a bully or cheerleader and bigger roles did not materialize.] She attended San Dieguito Academy, a high school in Encinitas, while modeling and acting in Los Angeles. After two nondescript movie roles, she appeared as Gibby's girlfriend, Tasha, in two episodes of the third season of Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (nicknamed Nick) is an American pay television channel and the flagship property of the Nickelodeon Group, a sub-division of the Paramount Media Networks division of Paramount Global. Launched on April 1, 1979, as the first ca ...
's ''iCarly
''iCarly'' is an American teen sitcom created by Dan Schneider, which originally aired on Nickelodeon from September 8, 2007, to November 23, 2012. The series tells the story of Carly Shay (Miranda Cosgrove), a teenager who creates and hosts ...
'' (2009–2010). Her manager discouraged her from pursuing many acting engagements until she could be more selective.
Ratajkowski attended UCLA for one year in 2009, and dropped out, deciding to model full-time. She later said that she found the fine art education at the UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture
The UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture (UCLA Arts) is a professional school at the University of California, Los Angeles. Through its four degree-granting departments, it provides a range of course offerings and programs. Additionally, the ...
arbitrary and in conflict with her artistic concepts, and that she did not enjoy going to fraternities. After campaigns and editorials with photographer Tony Duran, Ratajkowski began shooting more fashion editorials and posed for several early issues of the artistic erotica magazine ''treats!
''treats!'' (often referred to as ''Treats'', ''Treats!'', ''Treats Magazine'' or ''Treats! Magazine'') is an American pornographic magazine featuring models and celebrities. ''treats! owner, Steve Shaw, and several media organisations descr ...
'', including the cover of its third issue, in March 2012. She credits that cover for bringing her the two unsolicited, high-profile, music video roles. Ratajkowski later filmed commercials for Nikon
(, ; ) is a Japanese optics and photographic equipment manufacturer. Nikon's products include cameras, camera lenses, binoculars, microscopes, ophthalmic lenses, measurement instruments, rifle scopes, spotting scopes, and equipment related to S ...
and Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain store, chain owned by CKE Restaurants, CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., who also owns Hardee's, with franchisees in North and South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa.
...
, including multiple versions of a 2012 Carl's Jr.
Carl's Jr. Restaurants LLC is an American fast-food restaurant chain store, chain owned by CKE Restaurants, CKE Restaurant Holdings, Inc., who also owns Hardee's, with franchisees in North and South America, Asia, Oceania, Europe, and Africa.
...
commercial with Sara Jean Underwood
Sara Jean Underwood (born March 26, 1984) is an American Model (person), model, television host and actress who was chosen as the Playboy Playmate, Playmate of the Month for the July 2006 issue of ''Playboy'' magazine. and later became List of ...
. She also did nude and clothed art modeling for magazines, including a May 2012 shoot with Jonathan Leder, as well as work for Frederick's of Hollywood
Frederick's of Hollywood is an American lingerie brand formerly with stores in shopping malls across the United States. In 2015, all 111 retail stores were closed before a bankruptcy filing. The brand was acquired by Authentic Brands Group an ...
; a 2012 holiday video and a 2011 Valentine's video in which Ratajkowski appeared for the company are among the most popular videos on the company's YouTube channel. Ratajkowski worked with photographer Tony Kelly for the March 2013 ''GQ Turkey'' cover.
Ratajkowski appeared in Robin Thicke, T.I.
Clifford Joseph Harris Jr. (born September 25, 1980), known professionally as T.I. or Tip, is an American rapper and singer raised in Atlanta, Georgia. Harris is credited as a pioneer of the hip hop subgenre trap music, along with fellow Georgi ...
, and Pharrell Williams
Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (; born April 5, 1973), also known mononymously as Pharrell, is an American musician, singer, songwriter, rapper, record producer, and fashion designer. He first became known as one half of the music production duo ...
's 2013 video, " Blurred Lines". Previously, Ratajkowski had been cast in two other music videos: "Fast Car
"Fast Car" is the debut single by American singer-songwriter Tracy Chapman, released on April 6, 1988, by Elektra Records, as the lead single from her 1988 self-titled debut studio album. Chapman's appearance at the Nelson Mandela 70th Birthd ...
" by Taio Cruz
Adetayo Ayowale Onile-Ere (born 23 April 1980), known professionally as Jacob Taio Cruz ( ), is an English singer-songwriter, rapper, and record producer.
Cruz was discovered in the mid-2000s by American record producer Tricky Stewart, joinin ...
, which was released on November 5, 2012, and Maroon 5
Maroon 5 is an American pop rock band from Los Angeles, California. It consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Adam Levine, rhythm guitarist and keyboardist Jesse Carmichael, lead guitarist James Valentine (musician), James Valentine, d ...
's " Love Somebody", which was released two months after "Blurred Lines". "Love Somebody", shot on January 16, and "Blurred Lines" were both produced in 2013. The video for "Love Somebody" was released on May 21, 2013. Directed by Rich Lee, it shows bare-chested Adam Levine
Adam Noah Levine ( ; born March 18, 1979) is an American musician who is the lead singer, rhythm guitarist and sole continuous member of the pop rock band Maroon 5.
Levine began his musical career in 1994 with the band Kara's Flowers, for ...
using inverse green screen technology to rub paint onto Ratajkowski with his hands. As they touch, they reveal each other.
Thicke had seen Ratajkowski's ''treats!'' cover that ''The New York Times
''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' Bee Shapiro described as "an artfully composed black-and-white photograph of Ms. Ratajkowski sitting completely nude with her knees tucked to her chest" and convinced director Diane Martel to cast her in the "Blurred Lines" music video. Martel felt that "she looked smart and stunningly beautiful" in the photo. Ratajkowski initially declined the role, fearing being classified as a music video model, but Martel persuaded her. The video was released on March 20, 2013. On March 28, Thicke posted an explicit version, with a topless Ratajkowski.
"Blurred Lines" was controversial: its video was called sexist for its perceived degradation of women, and some felt its lyrics promoted rape. Others disagreed, asserting that the lyrics supported female power and sexual freedom. Martel defended Ratajkowski's performance, saying: "it's very, very funny and subtly ridiculing." Ratajkowski did not think of the video as sexist and claimed that the producers, through the use of humor and sarcasm, "took something that on paper sounded really sexist and misogynistic and made it more interesting". She said that the song "gave me an opportunity to say the things that I felt about feminism today and about women in general in pop culture." Ratajkowski did not feel objectified and enjoyed performing in a sexual manner: The attention given to the nudity in the video, she said, shows that America has not advanced as far as it should have, and, she believes, society represses sexuality, which is bad for both sexes.
Ratajkowski's assessment of her involvement in "Blurred Lines" as an unequivocal and properly feminist moment were reconsidered in her 2021 memoir, ''My Body''. A hitherto repressed exchange between Thicke and Ratajkowski was described, in which Thicke, borne of frustration and indignation at the attention Ratajkowski commanded on set at his expense, grasped Ratajkowski's breast without her consent, causing Emily to cower and the shoot to momentarily halt. Because Ratajkowski didn't retaliate and because Thicke wasn't held accountable in any way, Ratajkowski relives the event in her memoir in order to illustrate the complex idea that the shoot was a real claim to female power though perhaps only as a result of the male's behest: " e women who gained their power from beauty were indebted to the men whose desire granted them their power in the first place ... With that one gesture, Robin Thicke reminded everyone on the set that we women weren't really in charge ... I was nothing more than the hired mannequin."
"Blurred Lines", and Ratajkowski's associated video performance, was prominent beyond the sociopolitical
Political sociology is an interdisciplinary field of study concerned with exploring how governance and society interact and influence one another at the micro to macro levels of analysis. Interested in the social causes and consequences of how p ...
controversies. The song became the number-one song of 2013 on music charts in many countries, including Canada, Ireland, the Netherlands, New Zealand, and the United Kingdom. Although second on the year-end US ''Billboard'' Hot 100 chart, the song's twelve consecutive weeks at number one made it the longest-running number-one song of the decade until " Uptown Funk" spent fourteen consecutive weeks at number one in 2015. The song also remained in the news due to a copyright infringement
Copyright infringement (at times referred to as piracy) is the use of Copyright#Scope, works protected by copyright without permission for a usage where such permission is required, thereby infringing certain exclusive rights granted to the c ...
lawsuit and appeal.
Breakthrough and rise to prominence
The "Blurred Lines" video garnered Ratajkowski notoriety, especially as a sex symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British St ...
. In October 2013, ''Esquire
Esquire (, ; abbreviated Esq.) is usually a courtesy title. In the United Kingdom, ''esquire'' historically was a title of respect accorded to men of higher social rank, particularly members of the landed gentry above the rank of gentleman ...
'' magazine named Ratajkowski "Woman of the Year", over online fan vote finalist Jennifer Lawrence
Jennifer Shrader Lawrence (born August 15, 1990) is an American actress and producer. She is known for starring in both action film franchises and independent dramas, and her films have grossed over $6 billion worldwide. The List of high ...
. That December, ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason.
The magazine was first known fo ...
'' magazine listed her among its twenty hottest sex symbols. In February 2014, ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine named Ratajkowski as one of twelve 50th anniversary swimsuit issue rookies. In April, '' FHM'' ranked her the fourth sexiest woman in the world. ''Maxim
Maxim or Maksim may refer to:
Entertainment
*Maxim (magazine), ''Maxim'' (magazine), an international men's magazine
** Maxim (Australia), ''Maxim'' (Australia), the Australian edition
** Maxim (India), ''Maxim'' (India), the Indian edition
*Maxim ...
'' magazine included Ratajkowski at number62 on its 2014 Hot 100 list. AskMen
AskMen is a free online men's web portal, with international versions in Australia, Canada, the Middle East, the United Kingdom and the United States. It is owned by Ziff Davis and operates through the IGN Entertainment unit.
History
AskMen wa ...
ranked her the third most desirable woman of 2014.
Ratajkowski was on the July 2013 cover of '' CR Fashion Book'', which included erotic scenes with Karlie Kloss
Karlie Elizabeth Kloss (born August 3, 1992) is an American model. She was a Victoria's Secret Angel from 2013 until 2015, when she resigned to study at New York University. By 2019, Kloss had appeared on 40 international ''Vogue (magazine), V ...
and male models, photographed by Bruce Weber. On June 24, she appeared topless in the July 2014 American ''GQ'' cover story, photographed by Michael Thompson. A controversy ensued at retailer Lands' End, some of whose customers received the issue for free. Some customers objected to the racy images, forcing Lands' End CEO Edgar Huber to apologize.
Days after ''Gone Girl'' September 26, 2014, New York Film Festival
The New York Film Festival (NYFF) is a film festival held every fall in New York City, presented by Film at Lincoln Center. Founded in 1963 by Richard Roud and Amos Vogel with the support of Lincoln Center president William Schuman, NYFF i ...
premiere, Ratajkowski became the cover model for the November 2014 issue of ''Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Internationalism
* World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship
* Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community
* Cosmopolitan ...
''. On October 30, 2014, she appeared with Taylor Kitsch in the '' Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare'' live-action trailer. Ratajkowski appeared on the February 2015 ''FHM'' cover, but she tweeted that her picture was used without her consent. ''FHM'' responded that "we liked the pictures so much we stuck one on our front cover".
Ratajkowski co-starred in the 2015 film '' Entourage'' as a fictionalized version of herself, playing the love interest of Adrian Grenier's character, Vincent Chase. Her performance received critical commentary ranging from "less than compelling", by ''The Hollywood Reporter
''The Hollywood Reporter'' (''THR'') is an American digital and print magazine which focuses on the Cinema of the United States, Hollywood film industry, film, television, and entertainment industries. It was founded in 1930 as a daily trade pap ...
'' Sheri Linden, to "uncanny realism", by ''The Philadelphia Inquirer
''The Philadelphia Inquirer'', often referred to simply as ''The Inquirer'', is a daily newspaper headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Founded on June 1, 1829, ''The Philadelphia Inquirer'' is the third-longest continuously operating da ...
'' Steven Rea. ''Grantland'' Morris described her role and performance with scathing sarcasm. She was also cast in the 2015 miniseries '' The Spoils Before Dying'' as Agent Day, appearing late in the series. Her performance was favorably reviewed by Emily L. Stephens of ''The A.V. Club
''The A.V. Club'' is an online newspaper and entertainment website featuring reviews, interviews, and other articles that examine films, music, television, books, games, and other elements of pop-culture media. ''The A.V. Club'' was created in ...
'', while other critics commented that she was part of a solid supporting cast.
Ratajkowski earned her first leading role, opposite Zac Efron
Zachary David Alexander Efron (; born October 18, 1987) is an American actor. Efron began acting professionally in the early 2000s and rose to prominence as a teen idol for his leading role as Troy Bolton in the ''High School Musical'' film ...
, in '' We Are Your Friends'', a musical drama released in August 2015, and was part of the film's promotional tour to Europe and North America. Starting with the August 11 London premiere, this tour marked her ascension as a style icon as she earned multiple best dressed citations from various sources. She played Stanford University
Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University, is a Private university, private research university in Stanford, California, United States. It was founded in 1885 by railroad magnate Leland Stanford (the eighth ...
dropout Sophie, the love interest of Efron's character and girlfriend/personal assistant of Wes Bentley's character. Her performance received mixed reviews. Alonso Duralde
Alonso Duralde (born May 18, 1967) is an American film critic, author, and podcaster. He has been a writer and editor for ''The Film Verdict'', ''The Wrap'', ''The Advocate (LGBT magazine), The Advocate'' and MSNBC.com.
Personal life
Duralde ...
of TheWrap
''TheWrap'' is an American online news organization that covers the business of entertainment and media. It was founded by journalist Sharon Waxman in 2009 and is based in Los Angeles. The site features original reporting, analysis, and editor ...
described the role as thin, as did Ty Burr of ''The Boston Globe
''The Boston Globe,'' also known locally as ''the Globe'', is an American daily newspaper founded and based in Boston, Massachusetts. The newspaper has won a total of 27 Pulitzer Prizes. ''The Boston Globe'' is the oldest and largest daily new ...
''. Burr said that Ratajkowski's performance was "surpassingly dull", while Nell Minow of Beliefnet
Beliefnet is a Christian lifestyle website featuring editorial content related to the topics of inspiration, spirituality, health, wellness, love and family, news, and entertainment.
History
Launched in 1999 by Steven Waldman and Robert Nylen, ...
stated that she "does more posing than acting". Jordan Hoffman of the '' Daily News'' described Ratajkowski's performance as "stunning and sweet". Robbie Collin of ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' and ''Grantland'' Morris noted Ratajkowski's rhythmic dancing skills and sex appeal, as previously seen in "Blurred Lines".
Around the time of the release of ''We Are Your Friends'', Ratajkowski appeared on the covers of ''Grazia
''Grazia'' (; ; stylized in all caps) is a weekly women's magazine that originated in Italy with international editions printed in Albania, Argentina, Australia, Bahrain, Bulgaria, China, Croatia, Colombia, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, In ...
'' France, '' British GQ'', ''harper by Harper's Bazaar
''harper by Harper's Bazaar'' (referred to as "''harper''") is a supplement to the American women's fashion magazine ''Harper's Bazaar'' presented in various physical and digital formats.
History
The supplement was introduced at 8:00 AM on Februar ...
'', ''InStyle
''InStyle'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith, and started originally as a brand extension of ''People (magazine), People'' before carving out its own ide ...
'' UK, and ''InStyle'' Australia, as well as a role as a 2015 MTV Video Music Awards presenter. The ''British GQ'' cover story was photographed by Mario Testino
Mario Eduardo Testino Silva Order of the British Empire, OBE Royal Photographic Society#Distinctions and qualifications, HonFRPS (born 30 October 1954) is a Peruvian fashion and portrait photographer.
His work has featured internationally in ...
, who produced a short film featuring Ratajkowski for the magazine's website. Soon after, on September 17, 2015, she made her runway
In aviation, a runway is an elongated, rectangular surface designed for the landing and takeoff of an aircraft. Runways may be a human-made surface (often asphalt concrete, asphalt, concrete, or a mixture of both) or a natural surface (sod, ...
debut for Marc Jacobs
Marc Jacobs (born April 9, 1963) is an American fashion designer. He is the head designer for his own fashion label, Marc Jacobs, and formerly Marc by Marc Jacobs, a diffusion line, which was produced for approximately 15 years, before it was d ...
at the spring/summer 2016 New York Fashion Week
New York Fashion Week (NYFW), held in February and September of each year, is a semi-annual series of events in Manhattan typically spanning seven to nine days when international Fashion design, fashion collections are shown to buyers, the pres ...
finale. This appearance contributed to her number-one listing among '' Vogue'' 12 Breakout Beauty Stars of 2015. For fall/winter 2016 fashions, Ratajkowski walked the Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week (, commonly ) is a series of designer presentations held semi-annually in Paris, France, with spring/summer and autumn/winter events held each year. Dates are determined by the Fédération de la Haute Couture et de la Mode. Pa ...
runway for Miu Miu on March 9, 2016. She has expressed the desire to break barriers for shorter and more curvaceous models, commenting: "You don't have to be 5'9" and an A-cup to be a successful model."
A Buick
Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...
Super Bowl ad for its Cascada
Cascada (, Spanish language, Spanish, 'Waterfall'), is a German dance music act founded in 2004 by singer Natalie Horler and DJs/composers/ producers DJ Manian and DJ Yanou.
They functioned as a trio from 2004 to 2021, with their last track ...
convertible during Super Bowl 50 on February 7, 2016, featured Ratajkowski and Odell Beckham Jr.
Odell Cornelious Beckham Jr. (born November 5, 1992), commonly known by his initials OBJ, is an American professional American football, football wide receiver. He played college football for the LSU Tigers football, LSU Tigers and was selected ...
The ad, in which she made a wedding bouquet catch reminiscent of Beckham's catch from 2014, received average ratings, according to ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' admeter. The ad was filmed with a stunt double
In filmmaking, a double is a person who substitutes for another actor such that the person's face is not shown. There are various terms associated with a double based on the specific body part or ability they serve as a double for, such as stunt ...
making the catch. Los Angeles-based jewelry designer Jacquie Aiche featured Ratajkowski in a spring 2016 campaign wearing almost nothing but body chains, rings, bracelet
A bracelet is an article of jewellery that is worn around the wrist. Bracelets may serve different uses, such as being worn as an ornament. When worn as ornaments, bracelets may have a supportive function to hold other items of decoration, ...
s, pendant
A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, which may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. Its name stems from the Latin word ...
s, and chokers. In May, Ratajkowski appeared in the Russian-language music video "Inseparable" (sometimes translated as "Indivisible") with Russian entertainer Dima Bilan as a photographer and Ratajkowski as his muse.
Professional expansion
After seeing her in the "Blurred Lines" video Ben Affleck
Benjamin Géza Affleck (born August 15, 1972) is an American actor and filmmaker. His accolades include two Academy Awards, two BAFTA Awards, and three Golden Globes. Affleck began his career as a child when he starred in the PBS educatio ...
picked her to play the mistress of his character, in David Fincher
David Andrew Leo Fincher (born August 28, 1962) is an American film director. Often described as one of the preeminent directors of his generation, David Fincher filmography, his films, of which most are psychological thrillers, have collectiv ...
's 2014 adaptation
In biology, adaptation has three related meanings. Firstly, it is the dynamic evolutionary process of natural selection that fits organisms to their environment, enhancing their evolutionary fitness. Secondly, it is a state reached by the p ...
of Gillian Flynn
Gillian Schieber Flynn (; born February 24, 1971) is an American author, screenwriter, and producer, best known for her Thriller (genre), thriller and Mystery fiction, mystery novels ''Sharp Objects'' (2006), ''Dark Places (Flynn novel), Dark Plac ...
's novel '' Gone Girl''. ''The San Diego Union-Tribune
''The San Diego Union-Tribune'' is a metropolitan daily newspaper published in San Diego, California, that has run since 1868. Its name derives from a 1992 merger between the two major daily newspapers at the time, ''The San Diego Union'' and ...
'' described Ratajkowski's performance as "nuanced", while Andrew O'Hehir of ''Salon
Salon may refer to:
Common meanings
* Beauty salon
A beauty salon or beauty parlor is an establishment that provides Cosmetics, cosmetic treatments for people. Other variations of this type of business include hair salons, spas, day spas, ...
'' and Wesley Morris of Grantland
''Grantland'' was a sports and pop-culture blog owned and operated by ESPN. The blog was started in 2011 by veteran writer and sports journalist Bill Simmons, who remained as editor-in-chief until May 2015. ''Grantland'' was named after famed ...
wrote that her small role as a "duplicitous and manipulative former student" was critical. Reflecting on the performance in 2016, Naomi Wolf described Ratajkowski's portrayal as sympathetic and compassionate.
In August 2015, Warner Bros. Pictures released '' We Are Your Friends'', in which Ratajkowski played Sophie. In their respective reviews of the film, critics Richard Roeper
Richard E. Roeper (born October 17, 1959) is an American writer. He is a former columnist and film critic for the '' Chicago Sun-Times'', where he wrote for 39 years dating back to 1986 until his departure in 2025. He co-hosted the television s ...
and Wesley Morris said that Ratajkowski, again playing the attractive object of affection, failed to demonstrate acting prowess. In February 2016, Ratajkowski was cast in the film ''In Darkness'', alongside Natalie Dormer, Ed Skrein, and Stacy Martin
Stacy Martin (born 20 March 1990) is a French actress. Her breakthrough role was playing Joe as a young woman in Lars von Trier's 2013 drama film '' Nymphomaniac''. She is a frequent collaborator with Brady Corbet, having appeared in his films ...
. That August, she became the spokesperson for the Australian swimwear brand Amore + Sorvete.
Ratajkowski was one of five models to appear on the August 2016 ''Vogue Germany'' alternate covers along with Stella Maxwell, Irina Shayk, Lily Aldridge, and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley. Along with Joan Smalls
Joan Smalls Rodriguez (born July 11, 1988) is a Puerto Rican model and television personality. In 2011, she became the first Latinas, Latina model to represent Estee Lauder Companies, Estée Lauder cosmetics. In 2013, she entered ''Forbes'' maga ...
and Kate Upton
Katherine Elizabeth Upton (born June 10, 1992) is an American model and actress. She first appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, ''Sports Illustrated'' Swimsuit Issue in 2011, and was the List of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue c ...
, Ratajkowski was one of three models for the October '' Glamour'' cover. The cover story, which was shot by Carter Smith and includes an essay by Ratajkowski, says she has become known as an activist who considers being both sexual and serious to be non-conflicting ambitions. She appeared in a season 1 episode of Joe Swanberg's Netflix
Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...
series, '' Easy'' that was released on September 22, 2016. Her episode, in which she is a lifecasting selfie
A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph or a short video, typically taken with an electronic camera or smartphone.
The camera would be usually held at arm's length or supported by a selfie stick instead of being controlled with a self-timer ...
artist, met with mixed reviews. She was a guest judge on the October 20, '' Project Runway'' season 15 episode. By November 2016, Ratajkowski was attached to ''Lying and Stealing'', which also starred Theo James
Theodore Peter James Kinnaird Taptiklis (born 16 December 1984) is an English actor. He gained recognition for playing Tobias Eaton in '' The Divergent Series'' film trilogy (2014–2016). He has starred in the horror films '' Underworld: Awak ...
.
Ratajkowski began 2017 on the February Vogue España cover shot by Miguel Reveriego. Ratajkowski also made cover appearances on the March issue of U.S. ''InStyle'', and the May covers of American ''Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages.
The feature editions focus on women aro ...
'' (with alternate covers by Janelle Monáe
Janelle Monáe Robinson ( ; born December 1, 1985) is an American singer, songwriter, rapper and actress. She has received ten Grammy Award nominations, and is the recipient of a Screen Actors Guild Award and a Children's and Family Emmy Award. ...
, Aja Naomi King, Zoey Deutch, Alexandra Daddario, et al.) and the French '' L'Officiel''.
In March 2017, Ratajkowski became the face of DKNY intimates. On June 27, she was announced as the cover model for the August 2017 Australian ''Harper's Bazaar'', which had different newsstand and subscriber covers photographed by Pamela Hanson. That July, after modeling for the French fashion brand The Kooples's Fall 2017 collection, Ratajkowski was enlisted to design a 38-piece bag collection for the company. The initial version of the collection, named Emily By The Kooples, comes in six colors and features a leather carryall bag, The Emily Bag. The bags are Italian-made and represent The Kooples' first foray into bags. Later that month she was announced as the feature of cover stories in the August issues of '' Allure'' and British ''Glamour'', as well as a nude Patrick Demarchelier
Patrick Demarchelier (; 21 August 1943 – 31 March 2022) was a French fashion photographer.
Early life and education
Born near Paris in 1943 to a modest family, Demarchelier spent his childhood in Le Havre, Normandy, with his mother and fo ...
photospread for ''Love'' magazine.
That August she became the face of DL1961 jeans, The Frye Company for its Fall 2017 ad campaign, and the entire DKNY brand for its Fall 2017 campaign.
On September 23, 2017, she walked the Milan Fashion Week
Milan Fashion Week () is a clothing trade show held semi-annually in Milan, Italy. Upcoming autumn/winter fashions are showcased in February/March of each year, and upcoming spring/summer fashions are showcased in September/October of each year ...
runway for Bottega Veneta
Bottega Veneta S.r.l () is an Italian luxury fashion house based in Milan, Italy. Its product lines include ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, jewellery and fragrances.
Bottega Veneta is headquartered in Milan, Italy, with its main at ...
. Later that month, Ratajkowski revealed that she was working with a dialogue coach to learn the French and Italian language
Italian (, , or , ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European language family. It evolved from the colloquial Latin of the Roman Empire. Italian is the least divergent language from Latin, together with Sardinian language, Sardinian. It is ...
s for ''Lying and Stealing''. On November 1, Tyga
Micheal Ray Stevenson[Micheal Ray Stevenson](_blank)
posted an unofficial 60-second video teaser for "Tequila Kisses", which featured Ratajkowski. As a result, Ratajkowski was noted as the starring performer in Tyga
Micheal Ray Stevenson[Micheal Ray Stevenson](_blank)
's "Tequila Kisses" bonus track music video. However, on November 4, Tyga removed the full video from various points of internet access including his own Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
account, following complaints from Ratajkowski that the video was from a lookbook Ratajkowski did with Phillip Lopez in 2013. On November 9, ''Harper's Bazaar'' UK published a story about Ratajkowski's impending release of her own swimwear brand after Emrata Holdings LLC acquired the trademark to Inamorata in August and she left a trail of breadcrumbs on social media. Ratajkowski retweeted the story. The bathing suit line, Inamorata, went live on November 16, 2017, with three bikini separates and three one-pieces.In January 2018, Ratajkowski shot a fashion campaign with Inez and Vinoodh
Inez van Lamsweerde (born 25 September 1963) and Vinoodh Matadin (born 29 September 1961) are a Dutch-American fashion photographer duo, whose work has been featured in fashion magazines and advertising campaigns. They also produce independent a ...
, as the new ambassador for Kérastase. ''British Vogue
''British Vogue'' (stylised in all caps) is the British edition of the American Fashion journalism, fashion magazine Vogue (magazine), Vogue. The magazine was launched in 1916 by Condé Nast, linking together fashion and high society.König A ...
'' noted that the Kérastase endorsement was Ratajkowski's "first beauty campaign". That March, she landed her first fragrance campaign as the face of Paco Rabanne
Francisco Rabaneda Cuervo (18 February 1934 – 3 February 2023), more commonly known under the pseudonym of Paco Rabanne (; ), was a Spanish-born naturalised-French fashion designer.
Rabanne rose to prominence as an ''enfant terrible'' of ...
Parfum's women's line. That same month, she also earned the University of Southern California
The University of Southern California (USC, SC, or Southern Cal) is a Private university, private research university in Los Angeles, California, United States. Founded in 1880 by Robert M. Widney, it is the oldest private research university in ...
Inspire Award in at their inaugural ceremony. On April 8, 2018, Ratajkowski won the Model of the Year award from the ''Daily Front Row
The ''Daily Front Row'', commonly known as ''The Daily'', is an American fashion industry publication. Brandusa Niro founded it in November 2002 and is the current editor-in-chief. Formerly owned by IMG, the magazine launched for New York Fas ...
''.
On March 29, 2018, she was cast as a series regular in the NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It is one of NBCUniversal's ...
pilot ''Bright Futures''. The show was not included in NBC's 2018–19 schedule. The following month saw the release of the comedy film '' I Feel Pretty'', in which Ratajkowski co-starred alongside Amy Schumer. Her role, which was described as "pivotal" by ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' critic Bryan Alexander, included ad libbed improvisational comedy.
Ratajkowski was featured on the cover of the June 2018 issue of ''Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages.
The feature editions focus on women aro ...
''. She designed the mythology-themed "EmRata x Spinelli Kilcollin" jewelry collection with Spinelli Kilcollin that launched at Barneys New York
Barneys New York is an American brand founded in 1923 by Barney Pressman that operated full-line department stores from 1923 until 2020. Authentic Brands Group acquired Barneys' intellectual property in 2019, and has licensed the brand to Saks F ...
on May 30, 2018, with prices starting at $6,000.
On September 21, 2018, Ratajkowski walked the Milan Fashion Week runway for Versace
Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...
. That same weekend, she walked fashion week for Dolce & Gabbana
Dolce & Gabbana (), also known by initials D&G, is an Italian Luxury goods, luxury fashion house founded in 1985 in Legnano by Italian designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana. The house specializes in ready-to-wear, handbags, accessories, ...
. The following week, Vertical Entertainment released the film '' Cruise'', which was written and directed by Robert Siegel, and in which Ratajkowski played the female lead opposite Spencer Boldman. That November, Ratajkowski appeared opposite Aaron Paul in '' Welcome Home''.
In November 2021 a collection of essays by Ratajkowski with title ''My Body'' was published.[ 272 pages] Quercus described it as "a deeply honest investigation of what it means to be a woman and a commodity". ''Cleveland Review of Books'' said the book turns "the tenuous power of a woman's body into a voluntary disturbance." A excerpt from the book leaked by the ''Sunday Times
''The Sunday Times'' is a British Sunday newspaper whose circulation makes it the largest in Britain's quality press market category. It was founded in 1821 as ''The New Observer''. It is published by Times Newspapers Ltd, a subsidiary of N ...
'' describes an incident during the 2013 filming of the music video for the song " Blurred Lines", in which Ratajkowski writes that Robin Thicke, the singer and star of the video, groped her breasts without her consent. Ratajkowski was displeased at the leak, telling ''Extra
Extra, Xtra, or The Extra may refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Film
* The Extra (1962 film), ''The Extra'' (1962 film), a Mexican film
* The Extra (2005 film), ''The Extra'' (2005 film), an Australian film
Literature
* Extra (newspaper), ...
'', "What's frustrating is I didn't come out with it, it was leaked. It's been hard for me, I really like to have control over my image, and I wrote this book of essays to share the whole story and all sides of it. I feel like it just turns into a clickbait frenzy, and all of a sudden words like 'sexual assault' and 'allegations' are getting thrown around rather than people reading the actual essay, so, again, I'm just looking forward to when people will be able to hear things in my own words." (See Early acting and music video performances section above for more details on this incident.)
In October 2022, Ratajkowski partnered with Sony Music Entertainment
Sony Music Entertainment (SME), commonly known as Sony Music, is an American multinational music company owned by Japanese conglomerate Sony Group Corporation. It is the recording division of Sony Music Group, with the other half being the ...
to launch a podcast entitled "High Low with EmRata". In January 2023, Ratajkowski became the face of Versace's Spring/Summer 2023 campaign.
Following an unsuccessful audition for '' Triangle of Sadness'' (2022), Ratajkowski quit acting. She explained that she fired her team, including her agents and manager
Management (or managing) is the administration of organizations, whether businesses, nonprofit organizations, or a government bodies through business administration, nonprofit management, or the political science sub-field of public administra ...
, because she "didn't trust them". She also said "Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywood ...
is so fucked up" and she "felt like a piece of meat who people were judging, saying, 'Does she have anything else other than her reasts'" Despite this, in 2024, she joined '' Too Much'', a series created by Lena Dunham.
In the media
Ratajkowski has been frequently named in lists and polls that rank beauty or fashion in the media. She was ranked in ''Maxim'' Hot 100 list in both 2014 (No. 62)[ and 2015 (No. 2). AskMen ranked her among its most desirable women of 2014 (No. 3)] and 2016 (No. 14); while ''FHM'' ranked her among the sexiest in 2014 (No. 4),[ and 2015 (No. 18). She is also praised for her fashion sense: Ratajkowski made ''Vogue'' Italia's Best Dressed List of 2015, and '']Harper's Bazaar
''Harper's Bazaar'' (stylized as ''Harper's BAZAAR'') is an American monthly women's fashion magazine. Bazaar has been published in New York City since November 2, 1867, originally as a weekly publication entitled ''Harper's Bazar''."Corporat ...
'' placed her atop its best dressed list at the February 2016 New York Fashion Week.
In October 2017, American ''Vogue'' ran a feature article celebrating her "stylistic excellence".
In May 2025, Ratajkowski was featured in ''The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. It was founded on February 21, 1925, by Harold Ross and his wife Jane Grant, a reporter for ''The New York T ...
'' ‘Power Houses: Inside the Living Rooms of Notable New Yorkers’.
Publishing controversies
Ratajkowski was one of the victims of the 2014 celebrity nude photo leak, in which several nude pictures of her were leaked online.
In 2014, artist Richard Prince
Richard Prince (born August 6, 1949) is an American painter and photographer. In the mid-1970s, Prince made drawings and painterly collages that he has since disowned. His image ''Untitled (Cowboy)'', a photographic reproduction of a photograph ...
appropriated one of Ratajkowski's Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
posts without her consent, and included the resulting painting in a show at the Gagosian Gallery in New York. Seven years later, Ratajkowski took a photograph of herself standing in front of the Prince painting, and created a non-fungible token
A non-fungible token (NFT) is a unique digital identifier that is recorded on a blockchain and is used to certify ownership and authenticity. It cannot be copied, substituted, or subdivided. The ownership of an NFT is recorded in the blockchai ...
(NFT) from it. The NFT sold at auction at Christie's
Christie's is a British auction house founded in 1766 by James Christie (auctioneer), James Christie. Its main premises are on King Street, St James's in London, and it has additional salerooms in New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Milan, Geneva, Shan ...
for $175,000. "I hope to symbolically set a precedent for women and ownership online, one that allows for women to have ongoing authority over their image and to receive rightful compensation for its usage and distribution," Ratajkowski wrote on Twitter
Twitter, officially known as X since 2023, is an American microblogging and social networking service. It is one of the world's largest social media platforms and one of the most-visited websites. Users can share short text messages, image ...
.
71 photographs taken by Jonathan Leder in May 2012 were being printed in a publication by Imperial Publishing and set for display in a New York art gallery in February 2017. On November 30, 2016, Ratajkowski tweeted that she was being featured in the photobook publication without her consent. ''New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
'' noted that Ratajkowski had claimed that the pictures were intended for use in an artful magazine, while ''USA Today
''USA Today'' (often stylized in all caps) is an American daily middle-market newspaper and news broadcasting company. Founded by Al Neuharth in 1980 and launched on September 14, 1982, the newspaper operates from Gannett's corporate headq ...
'' noted that she had hesitated to protest because she did not want to give Leder publicity. She elaborated on the circumstances of the 2012 photoshoot in an essay titled "Buying Myself Back: When Does a Model Own her Own Image?" for ''The Cut'' in September 2020, reiterating that she never gave consent for the photographs to be used beyond their initial publication in ''Darius'' magazine, and stating that Leder sexually assaulted her after the photoshoot.
In September 2017, Ratajkowski took issue with image editing done for the cover of the '' Madame Figaro'' issue included in the Saturday September 16 issue ''Le Figaro
() is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It was named after Figaro, a character in several plays by polymath Pierre Beaumarchais, Beaumarchais (1732–1799): ''Le Barbier de Séville'', ''The Guilty Mother, La Mère coupable'', ...
''.
In October 2019, Ratajkowski was sued for posting a paparazzi image of herself to her Instagram. Robert O'Neil, the paparazzo who took the photo at issue, argued that Ratajkowski's posting of the photo constituted copyright infringement. However, Ratajkowski decided against settling the suit and challenged O'Neil's claim against her. In 2022, a settlement was reached and the terms were not disclosed.
Fyre Festival controversy
In 2017, Ratajkowski promoted that April's Fyre Festival on Instagram with Kendall Jenner
Kendall Nicole Jenner (born November 3, 1995) is an American model, socialite and media personality. She rose to fame in the reality television show ''Keeping Up with the Kardashians,'' in which she starred for 20 seasons and nearly 15 years ...
, Bella Hadid, and other actresses and models. Ratajkowski was reportedly the only actress or model to use the hashtag #ad, but later deleted the post. The Federal Trade Commission
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is an independent agency of the United States government whose principal mission is the enforcement of civil (non-criminal) United States antitrust law, antitrust law and the promotion of consumer protection. It ...
has said #ad only worked if at the beginning of paid posts, and that the hashtag alone was not a sufficient disclaimer. A second class action lawsuit against Fyre Media, McFarland, Ja Rule
Jeffrey Bruce Atkins (born February 29, 1976), better known by his stage name Ja Rule (), is an American rapper, singer, and actor. Born and raised in New York City, Ja Rule became known for blending gangsta rap with pop rap, pop and contempo ...
, and the event promoters in Los Angeles was filed. The plaintiff alleges that they deceived patrons into attending the festival by paying over 400 social media personalities and celebrities to promote it. The parties are accused of breach of contract, negligent misrepresentation, and fraud.
Political views
Activism
Ratajkowski has raised funds, done public service announcements, and committed to a being in a short film promoting reproductive and sexual health for Planned Parenthood
The Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Inc. (PPFA), or simply Planned Parenthood, is an American nonprofit organization .
On the eve of the February 2016 New Hampshire Democratic primary, Ratajkowski spoke at a Bernie Sanders
Bernard Sanders (born September8, 1941) is an American politician and activist who is the Seniority in the United States Senate, senior United States Senate, United States senator from the state of Vermont. He is the longest-serving independ ...
rally in New Hampshire to endorse his campaign. One of the main points of her speech, and her social media activity surrounding it, was to counter Gloria Steinem
Gloria Marie Steinem ( ; born March 25, 1934) is an American journalist and social movement, social-political activist who emerged as a nationally recognized leader of second-wave feminism in the United States in the late 1960s and early 1970s. ...
's statement that young female Sanders supporters were involved in the campaign to meet potential male romantic partners. In 2020, she again endorsed Sanders for the Democratic nomination.
Sexuality and feminism
Ratajkowski described the pressure that she endured as a youth around her sexuality and her thoughts on female sexual empowerment, in Lena Dunham
Lena Dunham (; born May 13, 1986) is an American writer, director, actress, and producer. She is the creator, writer, and star of the HBO television series '' Girls'' (2012–2017), for which she received several Emmy Award nominations and two G ...
's ''Lenny Letter
''Lenny Letter'', also known as ''Lenny'', was a weekly online feminist newsletter created by Lena Dunham and Jennifer Konner. ''Lenny'' also had a book imprint called Lenny Books on Random House. It was shut down in October 2018.
History
In Se ...
'' newsletter on February 16, 2016. ''Elle'' magazine, ''Esquire'' magazine, and ''Harper's Bazaar'' republished her letter, which drew praise from critics including '' Glamour'' magazine's Hayley Spencer, ''The Huffington Post
''HuffPost'' (''The Huffington Post'' until 2017, itself often abbreviated as ''HPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and covers p ...
'' Jenavieve Hatch, ''Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Internationalism
* World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship
* Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community
* Cosmopolitan ...
'' magazine's Nikki Kinstlinger, Rachael Moon of the ''Daily Mirror
The ''Daily Mirror'' is a British national daily Tabloid journalism, tabloid newspaper. Founded in 1903, it is part of Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which is owned by parent company Reach plc. From 1985 to 1987, and from 1997 to 2002, the tit ...
'', and Georgia Simmonds of ''Marie Claire
''Marie Claire'' (stylized in all lowercase; ) is a French international monthly magazine first published in France in 1937. Since then various editions are published in many countries and languages.
The feature editions focus on women aro ...
'', who lauded Ratajkowski for observations, calling the letter "powerful". ''Salon'' Erin Coulehan described the essay's identification of a societal catch-22, in which showcasing female sexuality that may "offend, excite, or create envy" leads to criticism and body shaming. ''InStyle
''InStyle'' is an American monthly women's fashion magazine founded in 1994. It was published in the United States by Dotdash Meredith, and started originally as a brand extension of ''People (magazine), People'' before carving out its own ide ...
'' Isabella Silvers concurred that "female sexuality isn't always for the benefit of someone else". Charlotte Gill of ''The Independent'' admitted that she was in the minority in finding the letter "rambling" and "dull".[
In an October 2014 '']Cosmopolitan
Cosmopolitan may refer to:
Internationalism
* World citizen, one who eschews traditional geopolitical divisions derived from national citizenship
* Cosmopolitanism, the idea that all of humanity belongs to a single moral community
* Cosmopolitan ...
'' interview, Ratajkowski said she enjoys freedom of sexual expression "while still being a feminist",[ and is outspoken about using her celebrity to support the empowerment of women and women's sexuality.] However, Amanda Hess of ''Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous, metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade, regional metamorphism. It is the finest-grained foliated metamorphic ro ...
'' questioned whether she is a feminist or an opportunist exploiting feminism. Ratajkowski defended Kim Kardashian
Kimberly Noel Kardashian (born October 21, 1980) is an American media personality, socialite, and businesswoman. She first gained media attention as a friend and stylist of Paris Hilton, but received wider notice after the celebrity sex tape ...
from criticism when Kardashian posted a controversial nude selfie
A selfie () is a self-portrait photograph or a short video, typically taken with an electronic camera or smartphone.
The camera would be usually held at arm's length or supported by a selfie stick instead of being controlled with a self-timer ...
on Instagram
Instagram is an American photo sharing, photo and Short-form content, short-form video sharing social networking service owned by Meta Platforms. It allows users to upload media that can be edited with Social media camera filter, filters, be ...
in March 2016, saying that women have the right to "express their sexuality and share their bodies however they choose". Then, Kardashian and Ratajkowski jointly advocated via social media for female sexual empowerment and against body shaming; nearly one million of their social media followers responded positively, and prominent global media outlets took notice. Commentator Piers Morgan
Piers Stefan Pughe-Morgan (; O'Meara, born 30 March 1965) is an English journalist and media personality. He began his career in 1988 at the tabloid ''The Sun (United Kingdom), The Sun''. In 1994, at the age of 29, he was appointed editor of ...
reacted to Ratajkowski's letter by saying that her form of feminism was a misguided affront to true feminism, labeling it pseudo-feminist gibberish. After Morgan wrote that "feminism as it was intended is dead", the ''Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is an American daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 1847, it was formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper", a slogan from which its once integrated WGN (AM), WGN radio and ...
'' Heidi Stevens, as well as ''The Daily Telegraph
''The Daily Telegraph'', known online and elsewhere as ''The Telegraph'', is a British daily broadsheet conservative newspaper published in London by Telegraph Media Group and distributed in the United Kingdom and internationally. It was found ...
'' Helen Pankhurst said that Ratajkowski neither killed nor bolstered feminism. ''Women's Wear Daily
''Women's Wear Daily'' (also known as ''WWD'') is a fashion-industry trade journal often referred to as the "Bible of fashion". Horyn, Cathy"Breaking Fashion News With a Provocative Edge" ''The New York Times''. (August 20, 1999). It provides i ...
'' Taylor Harris questioned the impact of Ratajkowski's feminism, as did ''The Independent'' Gill, saying that Ratajkowski's professional activities "continued to advocate industries that treat us as pieces of meat". Heather Saul of ''The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publis ...
'' wrote in support of Ratajkowski in an article subtitled "Ratajkowski is becoming an important feminist voice in the debate over female censorship and sexuality". ''New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
New York may also refer to:
Places United Kingdom
* ...
'' Allie Jones called Ratajkowski "the best feminist celeb".
In 2021, Ratajkowski published her first book, ''My Body,''[ which includes several previously published essays as well as personal stories. An excerpt was published in ''The Guardian''.]
Personal life
From 2014 to 2018, Ratajkowski dated musician Jeff Magid.
On February 23, 2018, Ratajkowski announced on Instagram that she had married actor and producer Sebastian Bear-McClard, her boyfriend of several weeks, in a New York City courthouse wedding. They lived in the NoHo
NoHo, short for "North of Houston Street, Houston Street" (as contrasted with SoHo), is a primarily residential neighborhood in Lower Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded by Mercer Street (Manhattan), Mercer Street to the west, the Bowery ...
neighborhood of Manhattan and in Los Angeles
Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...
. On October 26, 2020, Ratajkowski confirmed she was pregnant. In one of her essays, she wrote about how both her husband and herself did not wish to discuss their child's sex until their child was born. She gave birth to their son on March 8, 2021. In July 2022, Ratajkowski and Bear-McClard separated, and she later filed for divorce that September. Later that year, she identified herself as bisexual
Bisexuality is romantic attraction, sexual attraction, or sexual behavior toward both males and females. It may also be defined as the attraction to more than one gender, to people of both the same and different gender, or the attraction t ...
, stating: "I think sexuality is on a sliding scale. I don’t really believe in straight people".
Filmography
Film
Television
Music videos
Written works
Book
*
Essays
*
*
*
References
External links
*
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ratajkowski, Emily
1991 births
Living people
American people of Irish descent
American people of Polish descent
American people of Polish-Jewish descent
American child actresses
American film actresses
American television actresses
Jewish American actresses
Jewish female models
Actresses from San Diego
Models from San Diego
Female models from California
People from Encinitas, California
Models from Westminster
Actresses from London
People from Westminster
UCLA School of the Arts and Architecture alumni
Sex-positive feminists
21st-century American actresses
21st-century American people
American female models
Actors from the City of Westminster
American LGBTQ models
Bisexual women models
21st-century American LGBTQ people
Bisexual Jews]