Kristin Cavallari Mom-Shamed for Topless Boat Photo

Daniel S. Levine

09/26/2020 04:00 pm EDT

Kristin Cavallari wowed her Instagram followers with a topless boat photo Thursday, taken off the coast of California's Catalina Island. Since Cavallari and her ex-husband, former NFL quarterback Jay Cutler, are parents to three children, some Instagram users tried to mommy-shame the reality TV star while others defended her right to share the photo. The Uncommon James founder shared the picture after she finally broke her silence on the divorce from Cutler.

Cavallari, 33, first shared a selfie from Catalina Island, Wednesday. She followed it up with the topless photo, which shows her standing at the front of the boat, with her back to the camera. "Pretending it's Positano," she wrote in the caption, referring to the Italian coastal town. Cavallari also shared videos with her friends in her Instagram Story and another post of herself getting prepared to do press for her new cookbook, True Comfort: More Than 100 Cozy Recipes Free of Gluten and Refined Sugar: A Gluten Free Cookbook.

Cutler, 37, and Cavallari announced plans to divorce in April and they reportedly reached custody and property agreements in May. The former couple married in 2012 and are parents to three children, Camden, 7, Saylor, 4, and Jaxon, 5. In May, Cavallari announced she decided "not to continue" Very Cavallari, which aired on E! Network and followed the opening of her Uncommon James flagship store in Nashville.

Cavallari finally opened up about the split in an interview with PEOPLE earlier this week. "It didn't happen overnight," Cavallari said of the break-up. "We tried really, really hard for years and years. It was the hardest decision I've ever made." The former Laguna Beach star said there was a lot the cameras did not see for Very Cavallari. "We definitely kept a lot of stuff private," she explained. "Producers saw stuff, but they didn't put it in the show — which is good, because I don't want my kids to ever [see that]." Scroll on for a look at the response to Cavallari's bikini photo.

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"Don't you have kids? Shame on you," one person wrote. This comment set off a firestorm, with many people suggesting there was nothing wrong with the photo. "Get the absolute f*** way out of here with that dude. There is nothing whatsoever shameful about this picture," one person wrote. "Shame on you for judging!! who cares!!! get a life!!" another chimed in.

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(Photo: Michael Buckner/Getty Images)

"Pretending you are a stripper! U are a mom why????" another person wrote. "So a single mom can't take a hot picture? I don't get the hatred on this," one person responded. "Because she wants to. Period. End of discussion. She doesn't need your permission or anyone else's either," another wrote.

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(Photo: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic, Getty)

By Saturday, many of the most-liked comments on the post were Cavallari defenders. "I have had 3 kids just like you," one mother wrote. "However, I sure as heck don't look like that but I would love to look like that! U go Woman! Gorgeous picture! Kristin, u look so awesome! U will appreciate this pic a ton in maybe 40-50yrs from now!"

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(Photo: Jeff Kravitz , Getty)

"I never comment on these but the mom-shaming is so pathetic," another person wrote. "She's a mom and she looks amazing. She's a mom and she's incredibly successful. She's a mom and had the courage to leave an unhappy relationship. It seems to me she has absolutely nothing to be ashamed of, her kids should be proud, and some of you all should come out of the 1950s." This comment earned over 200 likes and over a dozen responses. One person disagreed, suggesting Cavallari was just seeking attention.

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(Photo: Getty / Cindy Ord)

Another person criticized Cavallari for sharing a topless photo but refusing to publish pictures of her children to protect their privacy. "How is that even relevant to this picture?" one person asked in response. "Maybe she cares about the privacy of her kids.?" another wrote.

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"Mom of 3! Noooo way!" one person wrote. Some Instagram users thought this was meant to be an insult, but the original Instagram user said the comment was being misconstrued. "You misunderstood my comment - she has a great body after having 3 kids. My comment comes from admiration," they wrote.

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