Yahoo News AT&T actress Milana Vayntrub reveals she now hides her body in adverts over online bullying
Actress Milana Vayntrub, who has been the face of AT&T commercial for years, says she stood behind a desk in the commercial because of the unwanted comments she has been getting about her body
(Screengrab/Video)Actor Milana Vayntrub, who has been the star of AT&T campaigns for years, spoke about the body shaming and online sexual harassment she has been facing after her new commercial.
The 34-year-old plays the famed character of salesperson Lily Adams in the commercial and has been the face of the media company since 2013.
Ms Vayntrub recently took to Twitter to respond to the comments she has been receiving following her recent adverts that air during the NCAA Tournament where people noticed she was behind a desk.
"Been getting a lot of ‘Why are they placing her body like that in those ads?’” Ms Vayntrub wrote on Twitter. “Well, I direct the ads. I place myself like that.”
“And it’s because of the thousands of unwelcome comments I receive about my body. You’ve lost the privilege of looking at it until I feel safe again," she said.
Been getting a lot of “why are they placing her body like that in those ads?” Well, I direct the ads. I place myself like that. And it’s because of the thousands of unwelcome comments I receive about my body. You’ve lost the privilege of looking at it until I feel safe again.
— Milana Vayntrub (@MintMilana) March 21, 2021
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The American actor, who has also acted in TV shows like This Is Us and Days Of Our Lives, used to stand in front of the camera in most of the company’s commercial, sometimes in the company’s stores, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, sitting on a couch.
However, Ms Vayntrub’s response to the unwanted comments about her body triggered more of such comments about her, where people began complimenting her body, only to be corrected by others who pointed why it was wrong.
“Really impressive how many dudes think they should respond to this by commenting on her body,” a Twitter user Erin M Callahan wrote.
really impressive how many dudes think they should respond to this by commenting on her body
— call me by your phone (@erinmcallahan) March 21, 2021
“Bro. She’s tired of people talking about her body/looks in any context,” another user Ben Nicolls wrote. “Telling her she’s super pretty is not the move. Take the conversation away from her appearance. PERIOD.”
Bro. She's tired of people talking about her body/looks in any context. Telling her she's super pretty is not the move. Take the conversation away from her appearance. PERIOD
— Ben Nicolls (@StrainovThought) March 21, 2021
The actor and activist spoke about online sexual harassment earlier last year as well on an Instagram live where she read out some of the derogatory comments she was receiving. She also said her old photos from her college pool party were also getting circulated. “I am not consenting to any of this,” she reiterated.
Mr Vayntrub has been hugely popular as Lily and her return to the commercial as AT&T launched two new adverts in 2020 after a break of three years was highly celebrated. She had been a part of 40 ads with the company between 2013 and 2017.
Jim Kimberly, director of corporate communications at AT&T, in a statement to Yahoo Life, said: "We will not tolerate the inappropriate comments and harassment of Milana Vayntrub, the talented actor and director who portrays Lily in our ads.”
“Last summer, we disabled or deleted these comments on our social sites. We continue to fight to support her and our values, which appreciate and respect all women."
Yahoo Life said a similar message was circulated last year by the company.
