A reporter with the New York Times has been accused of “slut-shaming,” allegedly callingfirst lady Melania Trump a “hooker” at a recent event, supermodel Emily Ratajkowski revealed on Twitter Monday. “Sat next to a journalist from the NYT last night who told me ‘Melania is a hooker.’ Whatever your politics it’s crucial to call this out for what it is: slut shaming. I don’t care about her nudes or sexual history and no one should,” Ratajkowski wrote in a series of tweets.
Sat next to a journalist from the NYT last night who told me “Melania is a hooker.” Whatever your politics it’s crucial to call this out for
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) February 13, 2017
what it is: slut shaming. I don’t care about her nudes or sexual history and no one should.
— Emily Ratajkowski (@emrata) February 13, 2017
In a third tweet, the supermodel said, “Gender specific attacks are disgusting sexist bulls—.”
Politico reached out to the New York Times after Ratajkowski made the exchange public; the Times said it has reprimanded the reporter. “At a party last night, a Times reporter who does not cover Washington or politics, referred to an unfounded rumor regarding Melania Trump,” the newspaper said in a statement to Politico. “The comment was not intended to be public, but it was nonetheless completely inappropriate and should not have occurred. Editors have talked to the reporter in question about the lapse.” Trump responded later Monday evening in a rare tweet from her official @FLOTUS account — just the fifth since Inauguration Day — thanking Ratajkowski for standing up for her.
Applause to all women around the world who speak up, stand up and support other women! @emrata #PowerOfEveryWoman #PowerOfTheFirstLady
— Melania Trump (@FLOTUS) February 14, 2017
Meanwhile, the first ladyfiled her third lawsuit last weekagainst the Daily Mail for allegations in a 2016 article that she had previously worked as an escort. The latest lawsuit, seeking $150 million, claims the news outlet’s defamatory statements ruined a “once-in-a-lifetime opportunity” to cash in on her star power while her husband is in office.
