Willow Smith took to Instagram to share a photo on January 22 which appeared to show her topless with her arms over her head. However, it wasn’t exactly how it seemed…
In reality, Willow is wearing a long-sleeved top with an illustration of a woman’s naked body, nipples and all. “#Vfiles #willowsmith,” the rising star captions the snap.
And yet, plenty of people were tricked by the optical illusion, causing a serious social media backlash. It may not have been an actual image of the young “Whip My Hair” singer in the nude, but it did draw those connections, which some didn’t find appropriate for someone of her age.
But Willow doesn’t see it that way, and she eventually took to Twitter early on January 23 to respond to her critics. She reposting the image, writing, “When did the women’s[sic] body start being something to hide? #freethenipple.”