Emily Ratajkowski’s Blurred Lines co-star speaks out on shock allegation

Elle Evans – who appeared alongside the model in the infamous Blurred Lines video – has revealed exactly what happened in the moments after she fled the set.

One of the women featured in the infamous Blurred Lines music video alongside Emily Ratajkowski has revealed the fallout of the alleged groping by singer Robin Thicke during production.

Elle Evans, who appeared alongside Ratajkowski and fellow model Jessi M’Bengue in the controversial clip, opened up to Bustle about the harrowing incident, which occurred in 2013.

“What I remember is that, toward the end of the shoot, Emily did leave very abruptly,” Evans told the outlet.

“There was kind of a bit of a scramble among the production team, like, ‘What are we gonna do? How do we shoot the rest of the video without her?’ I was told that she had a flight to catch.”

Ratajkowski alleged that Thicke groped her on set. Picture: YouTube

Ratajkowski shared the allegations in her 2021 book, My Body, writing that Thicke “cupped” her “bare breasts from behind”.

“I instinctively moved away, looking back at Robin Thicke,” she wrote.

“With that one gesture, Robin Thicke had reminded everyone on set that we women weren’t actually in charge. I didn’t have any real power as the naked girl dancing around in his music video. I was nothing more than the hired mannequin.”

When the Blurred Lines video was originally released in March 2013, it was greeted mostly with praise, while the song itself hit the top of the charts – despite being accused of glorifying rape culture with its lyrics (“You know you want it” has not aged well).

The unrated version of the clip – featuring the models topless – was on YouTube for just under one week before being banned for violating the site’s terms of service.

However, many critics panned both versions, and the song, for being misogynistic and sexist.

When it was released, the video’s director Diane Martel defended its style, explaining: “I wanted to deal with the misogynist, funny lyrics in a way where the girls were going to overpower the men. It also forces the men to feel playful and not at all like predators … I don’t think the video is sexist.”

Jessi M’Bengue, Ratajkowski, Evans and singer Pharrell Williams.

In her recent interview with Bustle, Evans explained that she and the two other women were asked to appear “untouchable” while filming the raunchy video, and that she had personally felt that she was in a “power position” at the time.

The uncensored version has been banned from YouTube.

She added that Martel had even told them to be less “sexy” throughout.

“The direction we were given is that we were untouchable. You know, ‘Every single guy in place wants you. ‘They would do anything to get you, yet you’re not giving it up,’” Evans said.

“I remember Diane shouting, “That’s too sexy. Don’t be too sexy. This is not the club, you know. This is not a lap dance.’

“There’s parts where I’m sitting on the stool and T.I. is brushing my hair. [Diane] wanted me just kind of chilling, just kind of a little bit of a shimmy shake.

“I felt like I was in the power position, even among all these superstar recording artists. It was a really great feeling.”

Originally published as Emily Ratajkowski’s Blurred Lines co-star speaks out on shock allegation