Megyn Kelly rips Emily Ratajkowski’s essay as harmful to young women: ‘Shame’
Megyn Kelly rips Emily Ratajkowski's essay as harmful to young women: 'Shame'
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Prime Day ends tonight! Score these last-minute deals MediaMegyn Kelly rips Emily Ratajkowski’s essay as harmful to young women: ‘Shame’
By Ariel Zilber Published June 18, 2026, 8:57 a.m. ETSee more of our coverage in your search results.
Add The New York Post on GoogleMegyn Kelly blasted Emily Ratajkowski’s graphic essay about her post-divorce sex life as a harmful example for young women, accusing New York Magazine’s The Cut of glorifying promiscuity under the guise of female empowerment.
“Shame on The Cut for running this,” Kelly said during Wednesday’s episode of SiriusXM’s “The Megyn Kelly Show,” denouncing Ratajkowski for “becoming a slut” as “kind of a soothing balm, I guess.”
The former Fox News primetime host was reacting to Ratajkowski’s essay, “Mother F–ker,” published Friday by The Cut, in which the model and actress details her life as a newly single mother after the collapse of her marriage.
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In the piece, Ratajkowski describes embarking on a period of compulsive dating following her separation, writing that she was trying to figure out “what kind of woman” she wanted to become.
Kelly took particular issue with the article’s graphic descriptions of childbirth and motherhood.
“She became the thing she never wanted to be, which was a single mother,” Kelly said while summarizing the essay.
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“I think most women remember some pain around the birth, but when you ask them about the birth, they might say, ‘Oh yeah, I was in a lot of pain,’ but then the very, very next thing they’d say is how wonderful the baby is, and what it’s like to become a mother, and the miracle of that first moment.”
“That’s not really how she describes it.”
Ratajkowski, 35, rose to fame as a model before becoming an actress, author and social media personality with nearly 30 million Instagram followers.
The essay chronicles her divorce and subsequent dating experiences while raising her young son.
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In one of the article’s most provocative passages, Ratajkowski writes: “I decided to f–k my way into a new kind of woman.”
“I wanted to destroy the Madonna, the special girl I’d worked so hard to be before an eight-pound baby had torn my vagina in two, and replace her with the whore,” she wrote.
Kelly seized on the language.
“So she talks now about how she’s become a slut, really, that’s what she’s decided to do,” Kelly said.
“She never had a one-night stand prior to her separation, but now she wants to be a whore.”
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The article describes a series of post-divorce sexual encounters and Ratajkowski’s efforts to reinvent herself after the breakup.
She writes that before separating from her husband, she had “never had a one-night stand” and had only slept with eight people.
The essay also recounts nights spent drinking martinis, casual sexual relationships and returning home before her son woke up each morning.
Kelly argued that the article attempts to frame the behavior as empowering.
“I guess we’re supposed to celebrate this as an example of female empowerment,” she said.
The SiriusXM host also criticized the essay’s cover image, which depicts Ratajkowski posing topless while cradling what appears to be an infant.
Kelly suggested the feature was less a serious meditation on motherhood than an exercise in provocation.
The criticism grew sharper as Kelly questioned the message the article sends to younger readers.
“It’s like the young girls who don’t have Emily’s followers on Instagram, or her money, or her name,” Kelly said.
“Sadly, some faction of them may be inspired by this.”
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“Like, ‘Oh yeah, she seems much happier now, in her own words, becoming a whore. Maybe I should try it.’”
Kelly also accused Ratajkowski of contradicting her past complaints about being sexually objectified.
The model has previously spoken publicly about sexism, objectification and the pressures placed on women because of their appearance.
“By the way, it’s from the same woman who wrote a whole thing about how she hates being sexually objectified by men,” Kelly said.
The Cut essay has generated widespread online discussion since its publication, with supporters praising Ratajkowski’s candor about divorce, dating and motherhood while critics have questioned its graphic content and underlying message.
For Kelly, however, the issue was not merely the essay itself but the decision to publish it.
“Shame on The Cut for running this,” she said.
The Post has sought comment from Ratajkowski and The Cut.
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Badenoch blasts 'moaning' female Labour MPs over Burnham jobs 'quota'
Kemi Badenoch has told Labour women to earn a job in Andy Burnham's Cabinet instead of demanding they are handed jobs because of their gender.
The Tory leader lashed out today amid reports that female MPs are demanding the de-facto new prime minister introduce a 50:50 gender split 'quota' in his government.
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister also complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts.
But in a scathing article in the Times today Mrs Badenoch told them to 'stop moaning' and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'.
'There are many, many reasons why you shouldn't have any Milibands in the cabinet,' she said.
'But complaining that the boys haven't given them the right jobs or that the boys are taking all the jobs, just shows that Labour's women still don't get it.'
The idea of quotas was also attacked by Baroness Jacqui Smith, Labour's Skills Minister.
Asked by Times Radio if Mr Burnham should reserve jobs for women, she said: 'No, I think what Andy Burnham should be doing is building the very best team around him to change this country.'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs
Amid reports that former foreign secretary David Miliband (above, right, in 2010) is being lined up to return to the role, possibly with his brother Ed as Chancellor, one female minister complained that Burnham could not have 'more Milibands than women' in the top posts
But Mrs Badenoch told them to pipe down and get chosen on merit instead of retreating into 'more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country'
A letter written by the Women's Parliamentary Labour Party and seen by the BBC has called on Mr Burnham to ensure a 50:50 split between men and women in government jobs after he succeeds Sir Keir Starmer.
'We are asking you to demonstrate this change from day one and address the toxicity and misogyny within our own party and government,' it said.
Labour has never had a female leader, while the Conservatives have had three, and Mrs Badenoch urged the government to follow its meritocratic example.
'If you run a meritocracy, then you do not have to worry about jobs for the boys,' she wrote.
'Every woman who is a Conservative MP, every woman who has ever won the leadership, has had to fight to get where she is.
'By contrast, Labour women are demanding guarantees from Burnham. But the truth is he doesn't have to give any guarantees.
'If none of Labour's women are prepared to get their hands dirty and challenge him for the leadership, their demands are toothless.'
'In fact, it's quite revealing that the women's parliamentary Labour Party has written to Burnham asking him to commit himself to at least 50 per cent female ministers.
'This has nothing to do with meritocracy. It is yet more of the failed identity politics that is holding back our country.'
