Sophie Guidolin hits back at trolls over bikini snap with teen son

Aussie fitness star Sophie Guidolin was forced to defend a photo posing with her 15-year-old son after some slammed the mum’s “sexualised” post.

Queensland fitness star Sophie Guidolin has hit back at trolls who slammed her for posing in a bikini with her teenage son.

The 32-year-old mother-of-four, who is the founder of leading online health and fitness program The Bod, shared several snaps of her son Kai in celebration of his 15th birthday.

It included photos from when he was a baby, his teenage years, to one of Sophie wearing a green leopard print bikini while hugging him.

“Happy 15th Kai,” she simply captioned the post.

Sophie Guidolin, 32, posted this snap with her son Kai, in celebration of his 15th birthday. Picture: Instagram/sophie_guidolin

However, the Gold Coast influencer and nutritionist was forced to edit the caption after some of her half a million followers had a “problem” with her bikini image.

“WE LIVE IN THE GOLD COAST, Australia. Where wearing a bikini to the beach is so beyond normal, that I didn’t even consider having to place a disclaimer on this photo,” she began the post.

“When Kai woke up, I was in the pool and yes- in a bikini (as I am most days). I wanted a photo straight away as he wanted to ride his bike and go out riding all day immediately.

“Do I have a problem wearing a bikini in front of my sons? NO WAY. Why? Because I’m not sexualised to him, nor have I ever been,” she wrote.

“If you have an issue, maybe you should look into why you feel you have to sexualise a woman’s body instead of it simply being a mum and her son at the pool!”

But she was forced to defend the snap after some of her followers had a ‘problem’ with her posing in a bikini with her teenage son. Picture: Instagram/sophie_guidolin

Some of Sophie’s followers were dumbfounded people had an issue with her photo.

“It’s gross that people even think that way‍️. You’re literally a mum taking a photo with her son on his birthday. I can’t believe people even want to sexualise that,” one follower commented.

“No idea why all the fuss over wearing a bikini around children,” another added, while a third wrote: “How sad you have to explain yourself for god sakes people it’s SKIN we all have it, she’s not naked.”

One follower wrote that while she has a “body she is proud of”, she doesn’t think it’s appropriate to “pose this way with a teenage boy”.

She also asked her son if he had an issue with the photo. Picture: Instagram/sophie_guidolin

She said they were ‘confused’ by some people’s reaction. Picture: Instagram/sophie_guidolin

“I think it’s more the sexy posing than the swimwear that feels off,” they wrote.

“I also don’t believe that he’s totally comfortable with it either. His body language looks quite tense and uncomfortable to me.”

Sophie hit back saying: “Sexy posing? I’m hugging my son for f**k’s sake!”

Others were shocked she had to explain herself.

“OMG! I cannot believe you are having to defend yourself about this,” one woman wrote.

“You shouldn’t have to edit this, nothing more than a beautiful mum and son photo.

The mother-of-four, said her boys, now 14 and 15, grew up with her competing on stage, wearing a bikini. Picture: Instagram/sophie_guidolin

Sophie revealed her inbox had been flooded with negative messages.

“You should read my inbox right now,” she told one follower, adding a crying and shocked emoji.

“And I also have a photo kissing my daughter on the lips … anyone going to have a go at me at that,” she said.

Sophie, who has six-year-old twins as well as sons aged 14 and 15, explained she wears a bikini in front of her kids all the time.

[Because] it is normal. Having a body is normal, having body parts is normal. It’s not sexualised, it’s not shameful and it’s something I really, really reiterate and drive home here with my boys,” she said in an Instagram story.

She said no one in her family had an issue with the photo and begged people to ‘stop sexualising bodies’. Picture: Instagram/sophie_guidolin

“So when they see me in a bikini they don’t think anything other than: ‘Mum’s tanning, Mum’s going to the beach, Mum’s going for a swim.’

“They don’t see me and be like, ‘Oooo what a sexy bum you’ve got.’ So stop sexualising bodies and bodies will stop being sexualised.”

In another Instagram Story, Sophie asked her son Kai if he noticed anything wrong with the bikini photo.

Sophie, who runs a multimillion dollar fitness empire, often shares snaps wearing a bikini. Picture: Instagram/sophie_guidolin

“Guys, I just sat down with Kai. He just came back from bike riding and I was like, ‘Mate, did you ever find a problem with my post this morning?’ And he’s like, ‘For real what?’ And I was like, ‘Because I was in a bikini’ – and his response was, ‘You’re always in a bikini.’”

Sophie, who has won numerous titles and world rankings in bodybuilding, reminded followers her son grew up watching her competing on stage, in a bikini.

“Y’all forgot he sits front row at all my shows too?” she said in an Instagram story, alongside a photo of her boys in their younger years.

“Winning national titles … in a bikini. Travelling the world … in a bikini. Hugging my son … in a bikini.”

Since sharing the controversial bikini photo on Sunday, many have continued to defend the mum, agreeing that people should “stop sexualising bodies”.

“If the thought crossed your mind that a mum in a bikini next to her son is sexual then you do some inner work and figure out why you even had that inappropriate thought,” one woman wrote.

“That’s a you problem not a Sophie and her son problem.”