Ashley Graham Embraces Her 'Tree of Life' Stretch Marks in Nude Pregnancy Photo
Ashley Graham is embracing her stretch marks as she awaits the arrival of her twins. The pregnant model took to Instagram on Thursday to share an intimate nude photo with her baby bump, and stretch marks on full display as she revealed the sweet thing husband Justin Ervin said of her stretch marks.
In the Thursday post, Graham, 34, posed nude in front of the camera, covering her chest with one arm as she held the other behind her head. The supermodel revealed in the caption, "Justin says my stretch marks look like the tree of life." The post drew up plenty of praise, with Lily Aldridge praising Graham as "beautiful" as somebody else said Graham's husband is "absolutely right." A third person responded, "Agreed!! And absolutely beautiful. They'll always tell your story so wear them proudly."
Graham's candid post came just days after she hit back at a commenter who suggested her stretch marks may "affect your career." The comment was spurred after Graham shared a video to the social media platform of herself modeling with her stretch marks visible. One person commented on the post, "I had twins but I did not get any stretch marks. I hope that does not affect your career." After Graham read the comment, she reposted it to her Instagram Story, adding, "Gosh – hope I still have a career with my stretch marks."
Graham has never shied away from embracing her stretch marks. Throughout her first pregnancy with son Isaac Menelik Giovanni, she shared several posts baring the marks. Speaking on an episode of Fearless with Ashley Graham, she revealed that the reason she decided to post her first image showing her stretch marks was that she "had just announced that I was pregnant and I thought then I was going to feel good and I didn't. I just felt terrible. And that morning, actually... That morning, I was like, 'Get it together, Ashley, there's other women out there that are going through the same thing as you – why don't you have a dialogue?'" Graham added that having a "new body" made her feel isolated and alone, and she had to begin understanding a "new world of body confidence."
Graham and Ervin announced in July that they were pregnant for a second time, with Graham sharing at the time, "the past year has been full of tiny surprises, big griefs, familiar beginnings and new stories. I'm just beginning to process and celebrate what this next chapter means for us." She later announced that she and Ervin are expecting twin boys.