Ashley Graham On Cheryl Tiegs’ Criticism: ‘Oh My Goodness’

Ashley Graham has already made history by being the first plus-size model on the cover of Sports Illustrated. However, she failed to impress Cheryl Tiegs, a former Sports Illustrated model, who said it was not a good decision on the magazine’s part because it glamorizes full figured women. She also stated that your waist should be smaller than 35 inches, E! News had reported.

When Ashley Graham was asked to react to Cheryl Tiegs’ criticism, she said that she was rendered “a little speechless” by the comment, Access Hollywood reported. She was asked by Access Hollywood about what her views on Tieg’s comments.

She said, “Oh my goodness. It’s so interesting because Cheryl has been an inspiration because she is a Sports Illustrated girl for so long and I think what this is doing is proving that beauty does come in all shapes and sizes and I applaud Sports Illustrated.”

Tiegs, on the other hand, said that she didn’t think it was healthy and that although Ashley’s face looks beautiful, it’s not healthy in the long run.

Graham said, “I thought it was an interesting comment and honestly, I was left a little speechless when I heard it but you know Cheryl’s beautiful and I wish her the best.”

She even said that she wouldn’t object if Tiegs reached out to her and added that they’d both have a lot to say, the Independent has said.

Tiegs did apologize for her comments. She said she just wanted everyone to be happy and healthy.

“To clarify re body weight. Being anorexic/bulimic/overweight all connected to health problems. I want all to be as healthy as they can.”

However, this quote was later deleted.

My sincere apologies to everyone I have hurt. I truly just want everyone to be healthy & happy.

— Cheryl Tiegs (@CherylTiegs) February 26, 2016

Ashley Graham, who is a size 16, is reportedly two sizes smaller than an average American woman, who wears a size 18. She may well be a spokesperson for women who are considered “plus size.”

She is also an outspoken campaigner for body image and believes that one can be healthy at any size.

“You can be a size 2, 12 or 22, it doesn’t matter as long as you get off the couch and you take care of your body. Your body is going to thank you at the end of the day.”

Ashley Graham has talked at length about her experiences while growing up as a person who was not thin. She says she realized that she was not going to fit “the mold that society wanted me to fit in,” People reported. Once she realized that, she felt free.

She has time and again thanked Sports Illustrated for putting her on the cover. She said she knew the magazine was taking a risk, but they are setting new standards by doing so.

“Girls who are insecure about their bodies, girls who feel fat, girls who have cellulite, girls who have stretch marks on their body — those are all the things that I had as a kid and I never had a woman like me growing up to look at. I had my mother and that’s one thing, but to have somebody who has cellulite, who has things that jiggle, who has back fat and talk about how you can be an overcome and not let society take you down for all of that. That’s real,” Graham said, according to Style News.

Do you think Ashley Graham should have reacted a bit more strongly to Tiegs’ comments?

[Photo by Pascal Le Segretain/Getty Images]