“We have more to contribute now than we ever did,” the 61-year-old supermodel said
Credit: Paulina Porizkova/Instagram
NEED TO KNOW
- Supermodel Paulina Porizkova said women are often pushed to the sidelines as they age in a candid video shared on social media on Sunday, Sept. 27
- Porizkova, 61, also acknowledged the pressure some women feel to undergo cosmetic procedures to remain relevant and visible
- The actress and author — who has become known for her body-positive online messaging — said she’s inspired by women who are “unapologetically” themselves
Paulina Porizkova is opening up about the pressures and challenges women face as they age — and offering a message of support and community for other women.
The Czech-born actress and supermodel, 61, shared a candid video message for her followers on Instagram on Sunday, Sept. 27.
“This one is for you, ladies of Instagram — and those of you who sometimes stop me on the street just to say ‘hi’ and ‘thank you,’ ” Porizkova — who has become known for her body-positive and confidence-building social media presence — began in the video.
Porizkova said she is sometimes still in awe of how many women express their gratitude for her posts.
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“I guess the ‘thank you’ is for making you not feel alone [in] not being psyched about aging,” she continued.
“Aging is such a privilege when we get to do it — and yet — it’s so on the line, especially when it comes to women. We get dismissed from the main tables when we age. We are expected to go silent. We are expected to sort of withdraw from polite society,” the author added.
She went on to say that many women often feel as though they must make a choice: either disappear, or get costly and invasive cosmetic procedures to still have a seat at the table.
“Those of us who are not ready to give it up have to go through surgical procedures. And those who don’t care can withdraw, sure, and have very happy lives. But there seems to be a lack of balance in here somewhere,” Porizkova continued.
“Can’t we age and still be at the main table? I mean, we have more to contribute now than we ever did,” she added.
Credit: Paulina Porizkova/Instagram
The former Sports Illustrated swimsuit cover star then asked her followers what kind of online content they wish they could see more, specifically asking what inspires them and makes them “feel good.”
“Let’s do more of that,” she insisted.
Porizkova also posed the question in the post’s caption, adding, “I am inspired every time I see a woman being unapologetically herself.”
Porizkova became known as one of the most recognizable supermodels of the 1980s. She first appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue in 1983 and landed back-to-back covers in 1984 and 1985, per Sports Illustrated.
Credit: Steve Azzara/Corbis via Gett
She went on to become a longtime face of Estée Lauder and took on a number of acting roles in the ensuing years in both film and television.
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In 2022, Porizkova published No Filter: The Good, the Bad and the Beautiful, a collection of personal essays covering aging, beauty standards, marriage, motherhood and rebuilding her life after losing her husband, Cars frontman Ric Ocasek, in 2019.
The supermodel married writer Jeff Greenstein in July.
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