Billy Porter has sparked backlash after he called Anna Wintour a ‘b****’ over her decision to feature Harry Styles as the first-ever solo male cover star of Vogue.
In a recent interview with The Telegraph, the Pose actor addressed criticism he initially received after hitting out at Styles for appearing on the cover of the fashion magazine wearing a Gucci dress. Porter - who’s known for championing gender-neutral fashion - explained how he would have better approached Wintour about “uplifting” those whose voices often go unheard in the fashion world.
Speaking to the outlet, the 59-year-old actor explained that he participated in a Q&A with the Vogue editor-in-chief months before Styles’ cover was revealed in December 2019. “That b**** said to me at the end: ‘How can we do better?’ And I was so taken off guard that I didn’t say what I should have said,” Porter recalled.
Looking back, the Cinderella star wished he had said: “Use your power as Vogue to uplift the voices of the leaders of this de-gendering of fashion movement.” However, Porter noted: “Six months later, Harry Styles is the first man on the cover.”
“It’s not Harry Styles’ fault that he happens to be white and cute and straight and fit into the infrastructure that way... I call out the gatekeepers,” he continued, before suggesting that the former One Direction member was “on the cover” of Vogue because he’s “white and he’s straight”.
“Non-binary blah blah blah blah. No. It doesn’t feel good to me. You’re using my community - or your people are using my community - to elevate you. You haven’t had to sacrifice anything,” Porter said.
Despite the Tony award-winner’s efforts to promote inclusivity in fashion, his comments about Wintour sparked backlash online, as some fans deemed his remarks “misogynistic” towards the fashion editor.
“Not him thinking he’s allowed to be misogynistic,” one person wrote on X, formally known as Twitter. “Calling a woman a b**** just because she didn’t do what you wanted will NEVER be okay.”
“I’m not one to defend Anna or that cover, but using misogyny to make your case for de-gendering fashion is not smart,” another user tweeted.
“I immediately tune out the second a man refers to a woman as a b****,” said someone else. “Your statement is now null”.
Another person joked: “Oh he’s never getting invited to the Met Gala ever again.”
Meanwhile, one user recalled how Porter recently admitted to selling his house as a result of the Hollywood strikes when they tweeted: “I would not be calling Anna Wintour a b**** if I was currently having to sell my house to be able to live but that’s just me.”
In December 2019, Styles became Vogue’s first-ever solo male cover star when he posed on the cover of the magazine in a Gucci dress. Months later, Porter took issue with Vogue’s decision to feature Styles on the cover when he claimed that all the singer had to do to break barriers was “be white and straight”.
“I was the first one doing it and now everybody is doing it,” the actor told The Sunday Times in October 2021. “I’m not dragging Harry Styles, but... He doesn’t care, he’s just doing it because it’s the thing to do. This is politics for me. This is my life.
“I had to fight my entire life to get to the place where I could wear a dress to the Oscars,” Porter added. “All [Styles] has to do is be white and straight.”
After facing criticism for his initial comments, Porter issued an apology to Styles live on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, telling the camera: “Harry Styles, I apologise to you for having your name in my mouth.
“It’s not about you. The conversation is not about you.”
The American Horror Story alum went on to explain that the conversation surrounding inclusivity in fashion is “deeper,” as it is actually about “the systems of oppression and erasure of people of colour who contribute to the culture”.
After acknowledging that there is a lot to “unpack” regarding the topic, Porter noted that he is willing to do so as long as it is without the interference of “the cancel culture of the internet”.
“I’m willing to unpack it, sans the dragging and cancel culture of the internet, because I do not now, nor will ever, adjudicate my life or humanity in sound bites on social media,” he said. “So when you’re ready to have the real conversation, call a b****. Okay? I’m ready to have it!”
Porter, who previously told The Sunday Times that he “changed the whole game” when it came to breaking gendered fashion barriers, famously wore a tuxedo dress custom-made by designer Christian Siriano to the 2019 Oscars.
As of now, Wintour has not publicly acknowledged Porter’s recent remarks.
The Independent has contacted representatives for Billy Porter and Anna Wintour for comment.
