Lydia Hearst Breastfeeds Twins In Controversial Campaign – Despite Having No Kids Herself

The 31-year-old heiress doesn’t have children of her own - which has irked people who’ve seen this campaign. [Photo: Instagram/Lydia Hearst]

We’re only six days into 2016 and it looks like we’ve already been faced with this year’s most bizarre ad campaign. Starring heiress Lydia Hearst, who’s the 31-year-old granddaughter of publisher William Randolph Hearst, the controversial campaign in question aims to get people to the gym – but has a weird way of going about it.

The actress and model isn’t exercising or lifting weights in the campaign. Instead, she appears to be breastfeeding twins. Which would be completely normal if it wasn’t for the fact that Hearst doesn’t have children.

But there’s a deeper message here.

The campaign, which also stars Jean-Claude Van Damme’s daughter Bianca Bree, encourages people to commit to something. [Photo: Instagram/Bianca Bree]

Shot by fashion photographer Steven Klein, famous for snapping those pics of Kylie Jenner in a wheelchair, the campaign for Equinox fitness urges people to “commit to something” – whether that’s breastfeeding in public, having an orgy or being a feminist activist, as some of the other images from the campaign seem to promote.

“It is the responsibility of advertising to communicate modern times and social issues,” said Klein. “This campaign addresses today’s issues and social commentaries, which is a powerful approach instead of portraying people as superficial objects with no narrative.”

Another of the ad’s stars a scantily-clad cat lady. [Photo: Instagram/Equinox]

And a fourth image stars five nearly-naked models, getting up close and personal with one another. [Photo: Instagram/Equinox]

Breastfeeding in public is clearly one of the social issues Klein is referring to, as it’s become more talked about than ever before in the past few years with a huge array of people globally attempting to normalise it. Hearst’s ad is clearly a nod to that as she sits at a table in an upscale restaurant and adamantly breastfeeds twins, silently daring any fellow diners to challenge her.

The image, shared on Equinox, Hearst and Klein’s Instagram accounts, has gone down well with the wide majority of people applauding the campaign.

“Yaaass and I am so proud of these image because women should be able to breastfeed in public without been harassed (sic),” wrote one person.

Hearst is engaged to businessman Chris Hardwick, but the pair are yet to have children. [Photo: Instagram/Lydia Hearst]

But others were quick to point out that it was an odd choice to cast a childless model (who has no idea what breastfeeding entails) for the campaign.

“I breast feed for a year, and it was the toughest thing I have ever done. It’s definitely #commitment However, is the woman the mom of those twin babies?! Hope so, if not…shame on you for putting a woman that has NO idea what commitment is when it comes to nursing (sic),” commented one Instagram user.

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