Blake Lively is hoping to put this whole “Oakland booty” controversy behind her.
The “Gossip Girl” alum, who got plenty of tongues wagging with a photo and comment about her derriere last month, appeared on Sway Calloway‘s radio show to defend her comment, and to stand behind — well, in front of — her rear end.
“I was celebrating my body,” Lively declared. “It’s nice to have a nice curve and not look like you’re starving to death.”
As followers of such things will no doubt recall, Lively stirred up controversy when she posted an Instagram photo of herself looking particularly curvaceous on the red carpet, with the caption, “L.A. face with an Oakland booty” — a line from Sir Mix-a-Lot’s 1992 hip-hop classic “Baby Got Back.”
Some cynical corners of the Internet responded with cries of racism. However, Lively did have her defenders. Among them: Sir Mix-a-Lot himself, who said: “I don’t think she’d wear that dress if she thought that booty is horrible — and to me, it ain’t horrible.”
Lively acknowledged the rapper’s support during the interview, noting, “It’s something I was proud of. I never meant to offend anyone. But Sir Mix-a-Lot, he actually said a really nice thing, he was very defensive and kind, because it’s just about celebrating women’s bodies, and that’s what I was doing.”
The actress added, “I would never want to hurt anyone’s feelings or upset anyone.”
Listen to Lively talk about the controversy below.