A recent photo of Arsenal women’s team star and Lioness Chloe Kelly for Marie Claire sparked conversations as she was seen exposing breasts in a revealing top on the cover.
Many users on X came forward with backlash, stating that the photo took women in sports back at least 20 years and was inappropriate. Others also compared it to the Novig Ad by Sydney Sweeney.
All these comments can be discussed but only if the photo was true.
Well, the photo that was shared on X by many users was edited, and the original photo shot by Marie Claire was different.
Fans immediately defended the English player and responded strongly against the editing of a woman who is also a reputed footballer to spread hate and scandal publicly against her.
Chloe Kelly was selected as the cover star for Marie Claire’s sixth annual “ Women in Sport” issue, which was published on 18th August. Originally written by Ally Head, the issue featured Chloe Kelly, and she spoke about her life from West London to becoming one of the most decorated English women’s players.
Chloe rose to fame after the 2022 Euros, where she scored a historic goal in the 110th minute that gave the Lionesses a 2-1 victory over Germany.
The video of her removing and then waving her shirt around her head in victory went viral, earning so much love and attention from women fans especially. Ally Head from Marie Claire describes the moment as
“ A cultural moment that embodied freedom, strength, and unbridled joy. It became a symbol for something much bigger, resonating with women globally and reminding us not only of how strong we are, but what we can achieve.”
Kelly also amassed a cult-like fanbase that praises her for being “clutch” under pressure. Her statement, “ Pressure? What pressure?!” became a social media trend even outside the football feed. Her witty personality for treating high-intensity moments in the sport as an opportunity instead of a headache earned her a huge fan following.
Kelly expressed in the Marie Claire interview that she was lucky to have her five older brothers, who always welcomed her to play football with them from a young age. But not so many girls who are planning to take up the sport have such support, and she wishes that things would change for them.
The English forward also expressed her love for the country, and representing it on a global level gave her immense satisfaction.
“ It’s just my job, really, to be the best I can possibly be in that moment. I never take playing for my country for granted—I just want to give it my all,”. Said Kelly
When asked about how she sees her career so far and how she would like to put it in words, she responded that her role is still pending and she needs to achieve a lot more.
“ I’m really happy with my career so far,” she says, smiling, but I want to win so much more, too.”
Currently, Chloe has appeared for Arsenal in the Women’s Super League and UEFA Champions League. The Arsenal women’s team will be facing Chelsea FC Women on 27th September in the Women’s Super League.
Users on X have called out the unsettling behaviour of some accounts for editing a woman footballer’s image in a certain way that has caused her to become the subject of public scrutiny.
Studies show that one in five players at the Women’s World Cup were targeted with online abuse. All these abuses were sexist, homophobic or sexual in nature. The increased sexual derogation of women footballers using AI and fake images reduces their overall image to just a prop for the male gaze instead of focusing on their achievements and skill in the sport.
