Nicola Coughlan speaks up
Nicola Coughlan has responded after a podcaster on Twitter referred to her as, 'The fat girl from Bridgerton.'
The Irish actress reminded the social media user, 'I have a name.'
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The Derry Girls star attended the virtual Golden Globes ceremony in a stunning yellow dress.
In a picture of her Globes look on Instagram, she can be seen wearing a black cardigan over her outfit.
Host and creator of Big Calf podcast, Amanda Richards, took to social media to comment on Nicola's look.
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The podcaster tweeted, 'The fat girl from Bridgerton is wearing a black cardigan at the Golden Globes'
'bc no matter how hot and stylish you are, if you’re a fat girl there will always be a black cardigan you think about wearing, then decide against, but ultimately wear bc you feel like you have to'
The fat girl from Bridgerton is wearing a black cardigan at the Golden Globes, bc no matter how hot and stylish you are, if you’re a fat girl there will always be a black cardigan you think about wearing, then decide against, but ultimately wear bc you feel like you have to
— Amanda Richards (@amandakater) March 1, 2021
Nicola's response
It wasn't long before Nicola responded, 'I thought the cardigan looked ace'
'Molly Goddard used them on her runway with the dresses that’s where the idea came from, also I have a name'
Amanda retweeted Nicola's response, and wrote, 'Fair enough.'
Fair enough. https://t.co/4dPYilmlVg
— Amanda Richards (@amandakater) March 1, 2021
The podcaster also reacted to the backlash she faced for her words in a separate tweet.
She can't understand why people think calling someone, 'fat,' is an insult.
'I am once again asking anyone who thinks the word fat is “mean” to examine why'
I am once again asking anyone who thinks the word fat is “mean” to examine why https://t.co/zvGOmbtdmg
— Amanda Richards (@amandakater) March 1, 2021
In another tweet, Amanda said, 'if you refer to someone with any other neutral descriptor besides fat (the short girl, the blonde, etc), *no one* will accuse you of dehumanizing that person.'
'But call someone fat, suddenly you’re taking away their humanity. I wonder if there’s a reason for that'
if you refer to someone with any other neutral descriptor besides fat (the short girl, the blonde, etc), *no one* will accuse you of dehumanizing that person. But call someone fat, suddenly you’re taking away their humanity. I wonder if there’s a reason for that 🤔
— Amanda Richards (@amandakater) March 1, 2021
In another thread, Amanda wrote, 'I can cop to tweeting something flippant about a celebrity and their outfit on a red carpet, but the level to which social media demands we genuflect to celebrities (on their behalf, without them asking) is fucking alarming, particularly white celebrities'
'Nicola Coughlan is fine. She replied to my tweet long before most.'
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The podcast host continued, 'She stated her autonomy in her choice, and called me out for not using her name.'
'She will now continue being a successful, interesting human with dope style, regardless of what a writer on Twitter had to say'
'And yeah, it sucked that I didn’t use her name, and I’m sorry I made that choice.'
'But I’m not going to apologize for using the word fat. Ever.'
And yeah, it sucked that I didn’t use her name, and I’m sorry I made that choice. But I’m not going to apologize for using the word fat. Ever. 3/3
— Amanda Richards (@amandakater) March 2, 2021
Nicola's article
Shortly after the exchange, Nicola shared an article she wrote for The Guardian.
She wrote, 'Hello! So I wrote this two years ago for the Guardian but I just thought I’d share it again'
'TLDR: Can we judge actors for their work and not their bodies'
Hello! So I wrote this two years ago for the Guardian but I just thought I’d share it again
TLDR: Can we judge actors for their work and not their bodies
— Nicola Coughlan (@nicolacoughlan) March 1, 2021
The actress continued, 'Also, can we please stop asking women about their weight in interviews, especially when it completely irrelevant.'
'I’m seeing a lot of interviews from 10 years ago where people go "Oh weren’t the questions so inappropriate!"'
'unfortunately it’s still happening,' Nicola wrote.
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Nicola's experience
'Every time I’m asked about my body in an interview it makes me deeply uncomfortable and so sad I’m not just allowed to just talk about the job I do that I so love'
'It’s so reductive to women when we’re making great strides for diversity in the arts, but questions like that just pull us backwards'
It’s so reductive to women when we’re making great strides for diversity in the arts, but questions like that just pull us backwards
— Nicola Coughlan (@nicolacoughlan) March 1, 2021
She continued, 'Also, and I mean this in the nicest way ah possible, I’m not a body positivity activist, I’m an actor I would lose or gain weight if an important role requirement.'
'My body is the tool I use to tell stories, not what I define myself by.'
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Nicola began to wrap up, 'So yeah, it’s 2021 it would be nice if we didn’t have to keep having this conversation.'
'It would really love to never be asked about it in an interview again, also I have so many other things I love to talk about, I’m Irish so I can talk till the cows come home'
So yeah, it’s 2021 it would be nice if we didn’t have to keep having this conversation.
It would really love to never be asked about it in an interview again, also I have so many other things I love to talk about, I’m Irish so I can talk till the cows come home— Nicola Coughlan (@nicolacoughlan) March 1, 2021
Nicola plays Penelope Featherington in Bridgerton, which is streaming on Netflix now.
It was recently announced that Sex Education's Simone Ashley has landed the female lead in season two.
Read more here.
