Former Sports Illustrated model Cheryl Tiegs is backtracking on the controversial comments she made last week about plus-sized model Ashley Graham, who currently covers the swimsuit edition of the sports magazine.
"My sincere apologies to everyone I have hurt," she wrote on Twitter. "I truly just want everyone to be healthy & happy."
Last week, Tiegs slammed the size 16 model and said she did not think it was "healthy" to put a plus-sized girl on the cover of the Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition.
"I don't like that we're talking about full-figured women because it's glamorizing them because your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches]. That's what Dr. Oz said, and I'm sticking to it," explained Tiegs to E! News on the red carpet of the 13th Annual Global Green USA Pre-Oscar Party. "No, I don't think it's healthy. Her face is beautiful. Beautiful. But I don't think it's healthy in the long run."
This was the second time that Tiegs tried to apologize for her comments about Graham. "To clarify re bodyweight. Being anorexic/bulimic/overweight all connected to health problems," said Tiegs' first apology tweet. "I want all to be as healthy as they can." This tweet ended up drawing further criticism, leading the former model to delete it.
After Tiegs issued her second apology, she retweeted another Twitter user that asked "Why is old @CherylTiegs fat-shaming that pretty lady Ashley Graham?" along with the comment "Guess that's between them. Ashley is not fat and Cheryl looks great."
While people like Tiegs have criticized Sports Illustrated for putting Graham on the cover, other models, like Kate Upton, have thrown their support behind the plus-sized model. Upton took to her Instagram to post a picture of Graham along with the words: "I know my curves are sexy and I want everyone else to know that theirs are too. There is no reason to hide and every reason to flaunt."
Under the picture, Upton called out the former model when she captioned it: "Let's empower and support one another! #beautybeyondsize #beautyfadesuseyourbrain #cheryltiegs."
Graham still has not publicly spoken out about the comments that Tiegs made or her apologies.
