Emily Ratajkowski doesn’t deserve to be slut-shamed for making out with Harry Styles

By now, almost the entire world has seen the photos of Harry Styles snogging Emily Ratajkowski on the streets of Tokyo. The kiss in question is mildly gross: overly open-mouthed, potentially quite wet, leaning up against a stranger’s car. But what much of the internet is more up in arms about than saliva is Emily Ratajkowski’s quick carousel of men over the past few months.

Divorce confirmed in September 2022, links to Brad Pitt later that month, dates with Pete Davidson by November, kissing hot NYC artist Jack Greer for Christmas, a situationship with comedian Eric Andre to see in 2023, and drunk dancing and tongue twirling with Harry by March. It’s good going. And the internet seems to have a serious problem with it:

“She’s literally been with everyone,” wrote one commenter on TikTok of Emily’s hot girl post-divorce era. “Busy 2023 for her,” added another. “Can’t stand her,” said a third. “She can’t keep getting away with this,” piled on a fourth, while a fifth critic summarised: “New month, new boyfriend.”

But, you know what? Good for her. Emily Ratajkowski went through an emotional tumble dryer of a divorce when splitting from her (reportedly unfaithful) husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in 2022. Not even a year on into her single life, it would be a waste of great looks, good showbiz social circles, and dizzying freedom not to stick her tongue down every eligible A-list man’s throat.

Miley Cyrus, Nicole Kidman, Mary-Kate Olsen, Emily Ratajkowski: we’ve celebrated the glow-up Big Divorce Energy all these women have radiated immediately after leaving their solicitor’s office and their former husbands behind. Yet, when one of them (in this case Emily) capitalises on her freedom to kiss lots of hot men, suddenly, it’s an unappealing and immoral issue.

Credit: Instagram (@emrata)

Notably, the same reaction didn’t bubble to the surface of social media when Pete Davidson became (for want of a better phrase) “community penis” and dated Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, Margaret Qualley, Kaia Gerber, Phoebe Dynevor, Kim Kardashian, and Emily Ratajkowski all in quick succession.

Nor has judgment fallen upon the second tongue involved in Emily’s snog: Harry Styles, whose broad and bountiful dating history includes Made in Chelsea’s Caggie Dunlop, Caroline Flack, Taylor Swift, Nicole Scherzinger, Kendall Jenner, Camille Rowe, Kiko Mizuhara, Olivia Wilde and (reportedly) Australian model Yan Yan Chan.

Credit: Instagram (@emrata)

Pete and Harry, despite their antics, both remain untainted— they’re having fun (wahey!). Meanwhile, women exhibiting the exact same behaviour have the internet come down on them like a sack of cement. It’s blatant double standards. And the more fervent the fandom, (Harry stans can be ferocious) the more intense the online abuse against female promiscuity becomes.

But – sorry to these trolls – summer hasn’t even gotten started yet. And if Emily can get with Brad, Pete and Harry in the gremlin mode months of winter, imagine the unstoppable pulling power she’ll possess in the short skirts, swimwear, sweltering heat era of 2023’s hot girl summer. She’s one of the most lusted-after women in the world. Without a doubt, she’ll thrive.

Related stories recommended by this writer:

• Meet Yan Yan Chan: Harry Styles’ new rumoured girlfriend and Australian model

• Um, there’s a rumour Harry and Kendall are dating again – here’s all the evidence

• A brief history of every person Harry Styles has ever dated