Model praised for ‘normalising’ secret-shame all women experience
A popular swimsuit model has been praised for “keeping it real” while attending a star-studded tennis match at Wimbledon.
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A popular swimsuit model has been praised for “normalising” a wardrobe mishap that almost every woman has suffered while attending Wimbledon.
Brooks Nader was recently at the annual tennis tournament in London when she unknowingly came on her period.
As a result, the 28-year-old was left with a patch of blood on her long white skirt, an experience anyone who menstruates will be all too familiar with.
Studies show that persistent stigma surrounding periods has long left women feeling that menstruation is unclean and embarrassing, and can lead to feelings of shame and discomfort.
But Nader proved she is determined to break the cycle of negativity surrounding the perfectly normal bodily function, and took to social media to poke fun at her relatable period mishap.
“Tries to be chic,” Nader wrote on a video she shared Friday. “Starts [blood drop emoji] at Wimbledon.”
In the clip, the model could be seen wearing a cap-sleeve black blouse with her skirt as she spun around to reveal the blood stain.
“Of course #Wimbledon,” she added in her caption.
Her relatable moment was applauded by many of her 216,000 followers, who praised the star for “normalising” the incident.
“You’re so real for this,” wrote one commenter, while another shared: “Happens to us all.”
“Thank you for normalising what we go through,” a third added.
“OK even beautiful women go through this,” another said.
As one praised: “I love that you shared this! This is real life for women!”
Stigma and shame surrounding periods can be dated back thousands of years (the Bible literally refers to menstruating women as “unclean) and have continued to modern day through sociocultural norms.
These feelings of stigma and shame have created a long-running expectation on women to hide their periods.
Still, researchers in 2021 found this secrecy can cause other issues, such as preventing people from identifying when their periods are unusual and subsequently seeking necessary healthcare, The Conversation reports.
It’s for these reasons that Nader’s video has struck such a chord, as it is viewed as helping to break down the stigma that is deeply entrenched in society.
“Serving looks, realness and breaking taboos,” one follower wrote on TikTok.
“This is the most relatable thing ever,” another agreed.
As one concluded: “Absolutely nothing to be embarrassed of ever, it happens. Thanks for showing it.”
Nader shot to fame after winning the 2019 Swim Search held by Sports Illustrated, and was featured in the swimsuit edition of the magazine in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
In 2023, Nader became a cover girl for the magazine.
Originally published as Model praised for ‘normalising’ secret-shame all women experience
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