Ashley Graham’s Fans Freak out Over Sexually-Charged Nude Photo

Ashley Graham’s latest cover shoot may be brighter, wilder and more suggestive than ever, [...]

Ashley Graham's latest cover shoot may be brighter, wilder and more suggestive than ever, leaving fans stunned in various fashions.

Monday morning, Graham shared a photo from her cover shoot with New York Magazine in which she dons only a black lace top, bold makeup and cascade earrings. In the pinup-style pic, the 29-year-old model sticks her bare bottom up in the air, sending fans into a tizzy.

@dickpageface @davidvoncannon @victoria_bartlett_nyc #maurizocattelan #pierpaoloferrari @nymag @thecut

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Many commented on the sexual nature of the pose. "You shouldn't bend over for anyone - you're better then that," said one.

"No hate here but the pose is really suggestive. Doesn't promote respect like you do towards women," another wrote.

The model is known for her outspoken thoughts on body positivity and women's empowerment, leading some to question her motives with this shoot, which also includes other potential sexually suggestive photos on a bed with legs spread.

👸🏼👸🏼👸🏼

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"I'm sorry but this is really slutty…," began one commenter. "Why should this be an image to portray! It's like telling young 11 year old girls it's okay to pose like this and lose their virginities at an early age and to behave like this!"

Other fans came to Graham's defense, with one writing, "Folks: [women] like sex. Sex is not something that should be shamed. Posing in a sexual pose is not demeaning to women or sacreligious. Being proud/open about your sexuality/sexiness does not mean you are not also proud of your mind. This is a woman who is worthy of respect, whether she is in a pant suit drinking cosmos, or bent over with her pants down."

"I think this is a powerful body positive image. Why can't a beautiful woman show her natural curves just like any other girl. I don't see it as being trashy or slutty, I see it as her saying, 'I can do it too, but better,'" said another.

Such a fun shoot with #maurizocattelan & #pierpaoloferrari 💋

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In the corresponding New York Magazine story, Graham gets candid about her surprising main mission. Though she is working to prove that curvy women of all sizes can be beautiful, she says she's really out to show the sex appeal women—any woman—carries, without "dowdy clothes, dowdy lingerie."

In the cover story, she says one of the best emails she's ever received was "a husband who was thanking me because his wife finally felt comfortable enough in lingerie to have sex with the lights on."

So whether or not you think Graham's sexually suggestive images are appropriate, it sounds like she's achieving her personal mission through modeling.

Secondarily, though, Graham knows the weight she pulls in working toward a more body positive, accepting culture. "This is the thing: I know I'm paving the way for the next generation of girls, and they're not going to have to do this," she told the magazine. "That's what I hope. I'll take the brunt work and just handle it, and then you guys can just sail right on through."

Nearly two years ago, the curvy model became the first woman "with clothing tags bearing numbers like 14 and 16" to grace the cover of Sports Illustrated's annual swimsuit issue. In March, she accomplished a similar feat by becoming the first plus-size model on the cover of Vogue, a first in it's 125-year existence.

"I'm getting a seat at the table we've never had before, and I'm also pulling up a couple of seats around me," she says. "I know this isn't about me. Just one girl is not going to change the world."

Still, she's off to a solid start.

Photo Credit: Getty / Roy-Rochlin

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