Emily Ratajkowski ripped for ‘tone-deaf’ essay detailing wild post-divorce dating phase
Supermodel Emily Ratajkowski is getting backlash for an essay she wrote for The Cut, where she details her dating life after her divorce and life as as single mother.
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Emily Ratajkowski is looking back on a month filled with sunshine, swimsuits and seaside views.
The 35-year-old model shared a carousel of photos from her summer travels on Instagram, captioning the post, “julio/Ιούλιος/july,” writing the month in Spanish, Greek and English.
Among the snapshots was a close-up selfie of Ratajkowski wearing a navy blue bikini covered in white polka dots inside a coastal home.
Emily Ratajkowski shared a glimpse of her July travels with a polka-dot bikini selfie.(Emily Ratajkowski/Instagram)
The halter-style swimsuit featured thin straps that crossed around her waist, while her long brunette hair fell loosely over her shoulders. She looked directly into the camera with open shelves, glassware and blue cabinetry visible behind her.
The model’s beach attire included an orange-and-black patterned bikini worn during a day by the water.
Emily Ratajkowski enjoyed a beachside afternoon while reflecting on her July travels.(Emily Ratajkowski/Instagram)
Sitting on a lounge chair covered with a yellow-and-white striped towel, Ratajkowski held a pink beverage in a glass beneath an oversized black-and-white umbrella. She accessorized the wraparound bikini with layered necklaces and several gold bangles.
A second image from the same setting showed the model turning the camera on herself.
Ratajkowski held her phone at arm’s length while seated sideways on the lounge chair, with rows of beach chairs and a glimpse of the water surrounding her. The late-day sunlight illuminated the scene as she appeared to check her reflection on the screen.
The carousel also included a quieter moment from an oceanfront dinner.
Wearing a dark brown halter top, Ratajkowski posed at a table overlooking the water as the sun set behind a row of trees. A cocktail, green drinking glass and place settings rested on the white tablecloth.
The model reached across the table to hold the bandaged hand of an unidentified companion. She did not identify the person or explain the apparent injury.
Emily Ratajkowski shared a quiet dinner moment overlooking the water during her July travels.(Emily Ratajkowski/Instagram)
Her summer photo album comes weeks after Ratajkowski reflected on the collapse of her marriage to film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard and the complicated period that followed.
The former couple married in 2018 and welcomed their son, Sylvester “Sly” Apollo, in March 2021. Ratajkowski filed for divorce in September 2022 and has since spoken openly about raising the 5-year-old primarily as a single mother in New York City.
In a June essay for The Cut titled “Mother F—er,” Ratajkowski wrote that becoming a mother marked an abrupt shift in her identity before her marriage began to unravel.
“And then, in a time period that felt both instant and excruciatingly slow, my marriage collapsed,” she wrote.
Ratajkowski admitted that she had feared becoming a single mother long before she had a child of her own.
“Even as a kid, I reasoned that of all the things I could grow up to be, it was crucial to avoid becoming a single mom,” she wrote. “The term itself could be lodged as an insult.”
As she navigated her divorce from Sebastian Bear-McClard, Emily Ratajkowski said she gradually recognized that leaving her marriage required courage and forced her to redefine her sense of self.(Allen Berezovsky/
Following the separation, the model threw herself into dating while attempting to reconcile her new reality with the way she believed others viewed her.
Despite the late nights, Ratajkowski said she established firm boundaries to protect her time with Sylvester.
“I had rules: Never miss bedtime and basically no sleepovers,” she wrote. “These were natural and easy to abide by.”
The model explained that she would return home regardless of how late a date ended, so she could be there when her son woke up.
“There was nowhere I’d rather be than when I woke up with my toddler, so no matter the number of martinis, I’d be fully dressed and out the door to relieve the sitter and be ready for my son’s 6 a.m. ‘Maamaaaa!’”
Although much of the essay detailed her post-divorce dating experiences, Ratajkowski said her most important realization came during a visit to her attorney’s office.
She recalled the lawyer telling her about women who remained in harmful marriages despite preparing to leave.
Emily Ratajkowski has one son, Sylvester Apollo Bear, who is 5.(Stephane Cardinale – Corbis/Corbis
“You should be proud of yourself,” he told her. “Most women don’t leave.”
Ratajkowski said the conversation gave her a new understanding of the choice she had made.
“Leaving my marriage wasn’t about seeking anyone’s attention or approval,” she wrote. “It was the opposite.”
The model acknowledged that becoming a single mother changed the way others perceived her but ultimately helped her recognize her own strength.
“I wasn’t left; I left,” she wrote. “I knew then that being able to leave, to say ‘no,’ was the only real superpower I’d gained through divorce. I was brave. Really, actually brave.”
The essay sparked mixed reactions online. While some social media users criticized Ratajkowski as being out of touch with the realities facing many single mothers, others praised her for candidly discussing divorce, dating and motherhood.
Away from her personal life, Ratajkowski has continued expanding her fashion career.
Ratajkowski left acting behind because she felt like “a piece of meat.”(Michael Simon/ for Primark)
She was recently announced as one of the faces of Abercrombie & Fitch’s fall 2026 denim campaign alongside model Paloma Elsesser and New York Giants players Jaxson Dart and Malik Nabers.
Speaking with Elle magazineabout the campaign, Ratajkowski said she has become less concerned with following every fashion trend.
“I care less about trends and more about how clothes make me feel,” she told the outlet. “I want pieces that fit into my life and make me feel like myself.”
The New York-based model also explained why the city continues to shape her personal style.
“New York has always been my favorite city to get dressed in because everyone is aware they’re being perceived but also have the realities of their days to combat,” she said. “There’s something incredibly stylish about practicality mixed with individuality.”
