Emma Watson addresses controversy over ‘topless’ Vanity Fair photos

LONDON, March 5: Actress Emma Watson on Saturday hit back at critics who have been commenting either in the press or on Twitter that a photo of her in the latest Vanity Fair magazine isn’t “feminist” as she bares part of her breasts.

Watson, who is a UN Women Goodwill Ambassador and pioneer of the #HeForShe campaign to make men advocate for feminism, talked about the controversy while promoting her latest film, the Disney live action “Beauty and the Beast.”

“It just always reveals to me how many misconceptions and what a misunderstanding there is about what feminism is,” she said during an interview with Reuters.

“Feminism is about giving women choice, feminism is not a stick with which to beat other women with—it’s about freedom, it’s about liberation, it’s about equality. I really don’t know what my tits have to do with it. It’s very confusing.”

“The shot itself I was honestly slightly taken aback by, because we’d been doing so many crazy things on that shoot, but it felt incredibly artistic and I’ve been so creatively involved and engaged with Tim and I’m so thrilled about how interesting and beautiful the photographs were,” she said, adding “But yeah, certainly people have asked and I’ve gone ‘Is there a controversy about this?'”

“Beauty and the Beast” will go on release internationally from March 16.

“I’m confused. Most people are confused. No, I’m just always just quietly stunned,” she said.

The photo shoot was carried out by acclaimed fashion photographer Tim Walker and displayed Watson in an open white crocheted bolero jacket with no bra or shirt underneath.REUTERS