Melissa McCarthy’s Curves Hidden Under Coat on Elle Cover: Body Shaming or Fashion Choice?

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Fashion magazines are often criticized for featuring only skinny models, but this month, Elle has been criticized for covering up Melissa McCarthy’s curves on its November cover.

Melissa McCarthy stuns on Elle's November cover in a Marina Rinaldi dress and coat, sparking controversy over body image and fashion choicesMelissa McCarthy stuns on Elle’s November cover in a Marina Rinaldi dress and coat, sparking controversy over body image and fashion choices (Credit: ELLE)

The American film and television actress, comedian, writer, and producer wore a dress and a coat by plus-size label Marina Rinaldi.

The almost full-length photo cuts off mid-calf, so we cannot see her legs and shoes. While the 43-year-old has previously stated that she picked the coat herself as she was tired of summer, this explanation has not satisfied critics.

In the interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa says that she initially could not understand how the cover could generate such controversy. For fun, she named the scandal “Jacketgate” and tried not to pay attention to everything written online.

In the interview with Ellen DeGeneres, Melissa says that she initially could not understand how the cover could generate such controversy

“I thought, ‘What is happening?’ Because I picked the jacket. I was like, ‘I love that coat,’” McCarthy explained on “The Ellen DeGeneres Show.”

During her appearance on DeGeneres’s show, McCarthy mentioned she wore the “big grey cashmere coat” during the Elle photo shoot because she misses wearing coats living in L.A. “I thought it was fun,” she said, but was surprised by the backlash, “The next thing I know it was like, ‘How dare you wear a jacket!’ I’m like, ‘Really?’”

McCarthy was unaware of the cover shot’s controversy because she doesn’t follow online news. “I’m like a 300-year-old woman, I don’t look at emails. I don’t look at any of that stuff,” she said, noting that when she’s home, she’s focused on her family, “with the kids and, you know, the purse goes in the closet and I just get mauled.”

On the same show, Melissa also discussed her fearless daughter:

We recently featured the comedian’s appearance at ELLE‘s 20th Annual Women in Hollywood Celebration.

For Halloween, the ‘Bridesmaids’ star hilariously dressed up as a fisherman to go trick-or-treating with Sandra Bullock.

Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock hilariously dress up as fishermen for Halloween with their kidsMelissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock hilariously dress up as fishermen for Halloween with their kids (Credit: Cousart / JFXimages / WENN)