Christina Applegate is calling out conservative commentator Candace Owens for criticizing an ad that included a model in a wheelchair.
On March 1, Owens spoke about an advertisement for Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS clothing line during an episode of her podcast.
In a clip on YouTube, the commentator reacted to a picture of a model in a wheelchair wearing a bra and underwear. “SKIMS — made for every body,” the post said.
“I don’t really understand how far we’re going to take this inclusivity thing,” Owens said in the video. “I really don’t get it. I don’t know. And if I’m wrong, again, educate me, today. I just want to be educated in the comments.”
She continued, “Why did they do this? I don’t know, I don’t know why this needed to be done. I’m getting tired of this all-inclusivity thing. It seems ridiculous.”
Before ending her commentary, Owens said she thought people in wheelchairs would agree with her critique. “I think they’re on my side. I think they think this is stupid,” she concluded.
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Three weeks later, Owens’ remarks went viral on Twitter, and Applegate, who revealed in 2021 that she was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis, slammed the political talking head.
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“Yes late tweet.But woke to see the most horrifying thing,” the 51-year-old actor wrote on March 23. “This Candace person making comments about companies who see we need help. It’s f---ing gross.”
She thanked the clothing company for “seeing” people with disabilities and added the hashtag “youshouldknowbetter.”
In a second tweet sent in the early hours of Thursday morning, Applegate said she could not go to sleep because “my rage is keeping me awake.”
“Candace Owens, do you know when you have seen pictures of me how f---ing hard it was to get my clothes on?” the “Dead to Me” star asked. “A team has to help me!!! So I’m excited for accessibility clothing for me and my community.”
Applegate offered to educate Owens in a third tweet.
She said, “I thought my last tweet was enough. But then my heart said something else. No rage. If Candace wants to get on the phone with me to be educated on being disabled.”
The actor said she would approach Owens with love instead of anger.
“Because she needs to hear that. I pray for her tonight.sincerely,” Applegate tweeted.
Applegate and Owens did not immediately respond to TODAY.com’s request for comment.
Haleigh Rosa, the model featured in the ad who is paralyzed from the waist down, also recently addressed the situation.
“After getting injured I remember not seeing anyone like me in campaigns,” the disability rights advocate explained in an interview with Forbes published on March 21. “At the same time, I was relearning simple tasks like clothing myself. It would have been so helpful to see someone in a wheelchair; I’m so happy that we’re finally coming around. Seeing someone like you matters; representation matters.”
Owens responded to Applegate’s tweets in a Twitter thread on March 23.
Owens said she is a fan of Applegate and would like to talk privately about the situation.
“I think Christina, that what you may have missed is that covering absurd DEI initiatives is a recurring beat on my show,” Owens tweeted. “We actually did not know that this particular ad featured a specific technology designed for people with disabilities, which was an honest mistake.”
Although she did not directly reply to her, Applegate appeared to react to Owens’ explanation a few hours later.
She uploaded another photo of a SKIMS model who uses a wheelchair.
“Thank you @skims for showing how beautiful the disabled community is And for your adaptive line for those of us with mobility issues. Not sure how you could not appreciate this and think it was an ‘honest mistake,’” Applegate said.
Since sharing her MS diagnosis, the “Samantha Who?” star has opened up about coping with the disease, which affects the central nervous system and how the brain communicates with the body.
“When people see me now as a disabled person, I want them to feel comfortable that we can laugh about it,” she said on “The Kelly Clarkson Show” in December.
Last month, she attended the Screen Actors Guild Awards with her 12-year-old daughter Sadie Grace LeNoble.
Applegate held her daughter’s hand as she walked the red carpet with a cane that said, “FU MS.”
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