Confronting new theory about Olivia Culpo's 'problematic' wedding dress - as podcasters debate over 'misogyny' accusations
Two Aussie podcast hosts have weighed in on Olivia Culpo's divisive wedding dress, with one sharing a new theory about the huge furore surrounding the gown.
American model Olivia, 32, exchanged vows with Christian McCaffrey at a Rhode Island chapel last weekend in a conservative Dolce & Gabbana gown, and her dress quickly became a talking point.
A style influencer boldly criticised Olivia for comments she made about the frock in a subsequent Vogue interview, prompting a fiery online debate.
TikToker Kennedy Bingham, who goes by Gown Eyed Girl, took issue with Olivia saying she didn't want her dress to 'exude sex', claiming there was 'internalised misogyny' in the swimsuit model's reasoning.
Olivia told Vogue she 'didn't want it to exude sex in any way, shape, or form' on her big day.
'When I think about Christian and what he loves and the moments that he thinks that I'm most beautiful, it's absolutely in something like this: timeless, covered, and elegant,' she said in an interview with the magazine.
Aussie podcasters Brittany Hockley and Laura Byrne waded into the debate during a passionate discussion around Kennedy's comments this week.
While Brittany defended Olivia and argued her remarks were taken 'out of context', Laura raised questions around the model saying her husband thinks she is most 'beautiful' in 'covered' clothing.
Two Aussie podcast hosts have weighed in on Olivia Culpo 's divisive wedding dress, with one sharing a new theory about the huge furore surrounding the gown
On their Life Uncut podcast, the pair said the criticism clearly came from her comments around the dress, rather than the fact she opted for a more traditional look.
Laura suggested that people were up in arms because they may have interpreted Olivia's quotes as suggesting that brides who opt for more revealing dresses aren't 'taking their marriages seriously'.
'The thing that people are up in arms about is this association between Olivia taking her wedding seriously and wanting a dress that reflects that,' she claimed.
'I guess the implication that if somebody wears a more revealing dress that they're not taking their marriage seriously.'
Laura also discussed Olivia saying Christian likes how she looks most in 'covered' clothing as she questioned whether there was an issue with 'internalised misogyny'.
'You're saying the reason why you chose that dress is because your partner likes you the most, thinks you are the most beautiful when you are completely covered up, which is a very interesting way to view someone when their job is to be a swimsuit model,' she said.
'So, you met her as a swimsuit model but now she is your wife, you want her to be covered. There is this expectation or thought that you can be one way, but then when you're a wife you should be more demure, more covered.'
'I think maybe this has got a bit of the Madonna-w**re complex, this idea that you could have sex with someone you're just casually seeing, passionate full-on sex with them, but you wouldn't have sex with your wife that way,' she added.
However her best friend and co-host Brittany firmly disagreed, arguing Olivia's comments were taken out of context.
'I think it's been taken out of context, I don't agree with that statement at all,' she said, insisting Olivia had simply worded her comments in 'the wrong way'.
'He fell in love with her, like you said, as a swimsuit model, he loves her as a swimsuit model, he loves her exactly how she is, with everything that she wears.
'I do have a problem with the word "covered", but I think that has been taken out of context,' she added.
American model Olivia, 32, exchanged vows with Christian McCaffrey (pictured in 2023) at a Rhode Island chapel over the weekend, but her dress quickly became a talking point
'I guarantee you every single person here has an opinion on a specific way their partner dresses that they really love,' she insisted.
'For them, a very religious couple, on their wedding day, in a church, in front of their friends, she chose to wear a covered dress and I don't think she deserves the hate she's getting.'
Brittany went on to slam the online furore and criticised social media users for commenting on the gown in the first place.
'I think this whole thing is utterly ridiculous,' she said of the huge debate.
'I was actually furious at the people that were horrifically commenting on Olivia's own Instagram and her own photos about how horrendous she is and how horrendous she looked.'
'I think people have taken it a little bit too seriously, at the end of the day, it's one person's wedding,' she added.
Laura agreed that people were in the wrong for firing vitriol towards Olivia, but argued that she was inviting opinions by doing press around the wedding.
A TikToker took issue with Olivia (pictured with Christian before her wedding) saying she didn't want her dress to 'exude sex', saying there was 'internalised misogyny' in her reasoning
She argued: 'If you don't want people to have an opinion, don't do any press surrounding your wedding!'
Last week, Olivia and her new husband Christian fired back at the style influencer who initially criticised the model for her Vogue interview.
After influencer Kennedy, known as Gown Eyed Girl, raised questions about Olivia's interview about her wedding dress, Olivia was quick to clap back.
She told Kennedy: 'Wow what an absolutely evil person you are. I hope no one ever tears you apart in this way because it's extremely hurtful. I love this dress and it was everything I ever wanted and more.'
However, Kennedy argued she was not criticising the dress itself but was only questioning her comments and decision to work with Dolce & Gabanna, who have been embroiled in controversy for their comments on IVF and accused of racism.
She replied: 'So we aren't going to acknowledge how your words come across to other people or the background of the designers that you're supporting?'
Olivia's new husband Christian also supported his wife amid the criticism and branded Kennedy's now-viral post as 'evil'.
Aussie podcasters Laura Byrne and Brittany Hockley (pictured in October) have waded into the debate
'What an evil thing to post online,' the San Francisco 49ers star penned. 'I hope you can find joy and peace in the world, the way my beautiful wife does.'
But Kennedy hit back with: '@christianmccaffrey So what's evil is pointing out the potential internalised misogyny behind her reasoning...'
The TikToker - who boasts nearly 100k followers - initially kicked off the dress debate by sharing her opinions on Olivia's wedding gown in a six-minute video.
Kennedy said she did not like the dress because of Olivia's comments, first describing the gown itself as 'elegant' and 'simple'.
'It's the stuff surrounding the dress that leaves kind of a bitter after taste,' she said.
'There is nothing wrong with wanting a modest wedding dress, or just modest attire in general,' she continued, claiming that Olivia had 'pushed this idea of what she thinks all brides should look like.'
'To treat this as a sexless design is really odd to me because both, it is your choice if you do not want to exude sex in this gown, but also if people want to sexualize you, it is not your fault if they do that,' she went on.
Olivia branded influencer Kennedy Bingham as an 'evil' person, but she quickly clapped back and doubled down on her argument
'Her two statements next to each other are a very eloquent way of saying you are asking for whatever you are dressed as, which is an extremely harmful way of thinking.'
'She even says her husband thinks she's the most beautiful when she is timeless, covered and elegant. I just think the usage of the word "covered" is so icky because you are not covered in day-to-day life,' she added.
'And also why is he thinking that you are the most beautiful when you are covered? That's just such an odd thing.'
Kennedy also boldly argued that Olivia was marketing a 'conservative agenda' before directing her attention back to the wedding gown.
'There is no personality in this dress,' she went on. 'This is just nothing. It is the absence of personality.'
In conclusion, Kennedy said: 'It's very clear this was not a wedding. This was a conservative campaign, and it wasn't even well done.'
