Kristen Stewart has addressed the criticism surrounding her Rolling Stone cover, where she’s depicted placing a hand into her jockstrap.
The 33-year-old actress discussed the cover during an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert on Monday night (March 11) in New York City.
While promoting her film Love Lies Bleeding, Kristen addressed what she described as the “homophobic” backlash to the cover.
Colbert prefaced, “Now, before I unveil this cover, I want to make it clear that I personally find it quite appealing. However, CBS has requested that we refrain from displaying it. They believe it might not be suitable for our audience, and I respect their decision. I must add, though, you certainly rock a jockstrap better than I ever did.”
In response, Kristen remarked, “Well, let’s keep things light. It’s a tad ironic, don’t you think? I’ve witnessed plenty of male pubic hair and hands-in-pants poses on various covers. There seems to be a blatant acceptance of male sexuality that’s completely autonomous, which can irk those with sexist or homophobic tendencies.”
Colbert chimed in, “Absolutely. I’ve seen far more revealing covers in Rolling Stone or even Sports Illustrated, for that matter.”
Kristen remarked, “It’s hardly explicit, right? Female sexuality is often depicted as passive, merely there to be desired. This feels like it’s asserting itself in a manner that could be perceived as bothersome.”
The following day, Kristen appeared in New York City to promote the movie without wearing pants.