WWE Wrestler Paige Slams Film Critic Who Body Shamed the Actress Playing Her in New Biopic
WWE’s Paige is showing her support for Florence Pugh, the actress who plays her in the recently-released biopic Fighting with My Family.
On Friday, a film critic from the Evening Standard published a review of the film — which is inspired by Paige’s life — and they made note of Pugh’s appearance on screen, comparing her to the WWE star.
“Her character is based on real-world WWE champion Paige, whose legs are significantly slimmer,” the author wrote, adding that Pugh had “chunky thighs.”
Shortly after the review was published online, it caught the attention of Pugh — and she was less than thrilled about the author’s decision to publicly body shame her, especially during a time when Hollywood is working to become more inclusive, she said.
“Oh dear. Singling out my ‘chunky’ thighs doesn’t help normalising an ‘all shape&size’ Hollywood,” the 23-year-old actress wrote on Twitter Friday.
“In fact that’s part of the problem,” she continued. “I do hope people take more away from the film than the circumference of my hams.”
Pugh’s tweet was then noticed by Paige, whose real name is Saraya-Jade Bevis. The wrestling champ who expressed her disappointment and disgust on social media.
“Wow I’m actually appalled [by] this,” she tweeted later on Friday.
Though the author followed up her statement about Pugh’s thighs with “How cool! So many actresses offer an idealised version of real women. Pugh is changing the ideal,” it is not clear what her intentions were by mentioning her physical appearance.
Representatives for the Evening Standard did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment.
Wow I’m actually appalled this. https://t.co/WGGNdK8WhX
— PAIGE (@RealPaigeWWE) March 2, 2019
Paige wasn’t the only star to come to Pugh’s defense over the insensitive comments.
The Good Place‘s Jameela Jamil, who has been an outspoken advocate for body positivity, also responded to Pugh’s tweet and showed her support for her fellow actress.
“Good point. Well made. You’re brilliant and I love you and your mind and your talent and your thighs,” she wrote, adding a red heart emoji at the end.
In addition, many of Pugh and Paige’s fans tweeted their outrage for the body shaming.
“Ugh – in 2019 we still have to listen to actress body evaluation in reviews? Sorry @Florence_Pugh that you have to weather this – we’re with you on it, keep calling it out. We got this,” wrote one follower.
“Well that’s a big load of rubbish. You were the perfect @RealPaigeWWE Loved the film and your performance!” added someone else.
“I don’t understand why it’s even a thing! How can someone watch a film and come away with ‘chunky thighs’ as a comment! Bizarre”
When did it become everyone else's job to talk about a person's body? OMG she has chunky thighs...does that make her less of a person? Should she be taken out and stoned because she doesn't share the same body as some no name keyboard warrior who think they know all?
— Heather Ragsdale (@Ravie30) March 2, 2019
Some, meanwhile, slammed the female author for not empowering other women.
“honestly, the worst part is that its written by a woman. I genuinely hope those words come from a nice place with positive sentiment behind them but i really don’t see how the size of ones thighs are relevant in a review about a wresting biopic?????” wrote one user.
Fighting with My Family, inspired by a documentary of the same name, follows the story of Paige and her rise to domination as a WWE Diva, becoming the youngest woman to hold the Divas Champion title.
After making her WWE debut in 2014 and winning her first-ever match, Paige revealed that although the defining moment felt surreal, she did feel real-life pressure to change her look to fit in.
“It was something that I’d been fighting for for so many years, and to get the opportunity to be the Divas Champion, it just soothed my mind because I wasn’t a typical Diva,” Paige told PEOPLE. “I didn’t look like the rest of the divas. I was the oddball, the misfit. The reception from the fans was amazing. Even when I watch it back now, it’s insane to me.”
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“I didn’t go as blonde because my hair would’ve fallen out, but I did lighten my hair back to my natural color, which is like a dirty blonde/brown color and I got a spray tan,” she added. “I took my piercings out. I tried to conform to what I thought was Diva, but it just didn’t work out for me and I wasn’t comfortable.”
It was actually her brother Zak who encouraged her to embrace her appearance. “My brother said, ‘The reason why you got signed was because of the way you look. Why are you changing?'” Paige revealed.
Fighting with My Family is in theaters now.
