Back in 2019, country music star Maren Morris posed topless in Playboy.
It’s hard to imagine a move like that creating much controversy these days, but country fans tend to lean toward the more conservative end of the political spectrum.
That’s a lesson that Maren has learned several times over the course of her career, including the incident last year in which she criticized pro-Trump country fans and pointed out that Nazis can’t be patriots.
We probably don’t need to tell you that those comments didn’t go over well with the MAGA crowd.
Anyway, Maren received a ton of criticism about her Playboy spread, but she remains proud of her decision to appear in the world’s most famous men’s magazine.
In both her music and on her Instagram page, Morris is remarkably candid with her fans.
So when the criticism she encountered all those years ago resurfaced in her mind this week, she didn’t suppress the urge to speak publicly about the hate she received.
"I did Playboy in 2019 and got a lot of hate at the time, but I’m the proudest that I showed country female sexuality in its realist form here," Morris captioned the photo above.
"We are nuanced, we are messy and stretch-marked in the most beautiful way. Don’t sleep on us. We tell your down home stories in the most unflinching, gorgeous lane."
Astonishingly, Maren received more backlash from ignorant commenters who continue to follow her on IG, despite apparently disapproving of her views and lifestyle.
"Please dress appropriate," one commenter wrote.
"RESPECT 4 MOM BOOBZ," Morris, who welcomed her first child in 2020, hilariously clapped back.
She proceeded to share a screenshot of the comment, noting that moral judgment from high-and-mighty "fans" is an ongoing problem for female country stars.
"I see this kind of comment a lot on country music accounts at me, soooooo GET OVER IT," Maren wrote.
“Letting all the prudes know women in country music own their sexuality too.”
Unfortunately, the trash-talk from jealous trolls continued from there.
"Its sad that people feel like they need to show off their body to be liked," one commenter wrote on Maren’s post, according to Too Fab.
"Yes! It’s not empowering to get naked in front of a camera, it’s sad," another wrote.
Maren didn’t feel the need to respond to every hater individually, but thankfully, her adoring fans were up to the task.
"It is sad that you think you have the right to judge another women’s choices," one commenter replied.
And of course, Maren’s celebrity friends were quick to offer their support.
"I adore this photo! You look stunning! The ones talking shit are only DYING to let this side of themselves out. Expression, not repression." LeAnn Rimes wrote on the post.
"Wow Wow," commented Amanda Kloots.
"Holy smoke show." Kyle Richards wrote.
In the years since she became a mom, Maren has gained a whole new following thanks to her unflinching honesty and refusal to kowtow to critics.
“Am never saying, ‘Trying to get my body back’ again. No one took it, I didn’t lose it like a set of keys,” Morris an April 2021 Instagram post in April of 2021.
“The pressure we put on mothers to ‘snap back’ is insurmountable and deeply troublesome. You are and always were a f—king badass. And yeah, I’m proud.”
Fortunately, Maren has yet to back down in the face of criticism — and it doesn’t she’ll be giving in anytime soon.
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