He’s one of the hunkiest actors in Hollywood, so it wouldn’t be too far off to say that many might fantasize about him. But, socially-conscious bra brand Harper Wilde’s now-deleted Instagram post raised eyebrows recently when it compared the Deadpool star to one of its bras in a somewhat scandalous way.
While bras are widely revered for being a supportive garment, a Jan. 27 Instagram post by Harper Wilde took things a step further. It featured text that stated: “This bra is like if Ryan Reynolds was gently holding up your breasts and whispering in your ear that you are doing a good job… honestly.”
The post came under fire from fans who know the brand to be socially responsible and couldn’t understand why fantasizing about Reynolds had anything to do with selling bras.
RELATED: 7 Sustainable Lingerie Brands You Can Try on for Size
One outraged Twitter user said “this bra feels like sexual assault, harassment, and stalking by a rich white man ???? rly good marketing,” while another claimed “this was written by a man,” and “they’ve done it. I’m officially terrified of underwear now.”
Some people even called out Reynolds himself, although it doesn’t appear he has responded to the controversy.
Harper Wilde, on the other hand, has responded by offering an explanation in a Reddit “Pop Culture Chat” thread, and pulling the ad—but not before it was already shared on Twitter and other SM outlets, with one post garnering more than a million views.
“For context, this is actually a review by a real customer originally meant to run with a series of other reviews — we thought it was cheeky enough to run as an ad, but the attribution was cut off at the bottom by the ad interface,” a rep for Harper Wilde wrote.
“The core of our brand is ultimately about designing bras by boob-havers for boob-havers while divesting from the male gaze. While we clearly have customers who are straight women, this single review doesn’t represent our entire brand. Our small team is 99% women and we absolutely do not condone creepy non-consensual boob-grabbing of any kind, even in a figurative hypothetical bra-review. We’re so sorry this creeped anyone out! Absolutely not our intention and we’ve pulled the ad from running.”
Harper Wilde is known for its collaborations with social-interest groups, female celebrities, and charitable organizations that support women, with bras emblazoned with sayings like “take up space” and “f*** your laws.”
HelloGiggles has reached out to the brand and its rep for comment but has not heard back.
