‘Sports Illustrated’ Model and Golfer Paige Spiranac Engages in Twitter Spat with Britt McHenry Over Nude Photos

AP Spiranac
Warner Todd Huston

Sports Illustrated swimsuit model and PGA golfer Paige Spiranac went toe-to-toe with former ESPN reporter Britt McHenry on Twitter, over the ’empowerment’ of women posing nude in SI’s annual swimsuit edition.

Shortly after Sports Illustrated released its list of this year’s swimsuit models, former ESPN host McHenry jumped to Twitter to slam women who feel it necessary to pose nude, or in revealing clothing, Total Pro Sports reported.

“Why does a woman have to pose nude to feel “empowered”? Isn’t it more empowering to keep your clothes on, go into an office or classroom like everyone else and excel? #SISwimSuit desperately wanting to compete with IG models with gimmicks,” McHenry tweeted on February 13.

Not long after that post, Paige Spiranac, who appeared as one of SI’s swimsuit models this year, fired back at McHenry saying: “Different women feel empowered in different ways and it’s not right to tell someone what they can and cannot do. It’s more about the person you are and not the clothes you decide or not decide to wear. My body, my choice.”

Brit jumped back in to keep the conversation going. The broadcaster agreed, but only to a point: “I agree it’s your body to do what you want. But posing nude is a way to ascertain empowerment through vanity. I don’t think, and this goes for both genders, it’s the best way to receive reciprocal respect or empowerment. Just my opinion though.”

The swimsuit model then ended the debate with one of her latest nude photos and said to McHenry, “Thanks, I will.”

The magazine released some shot from Spiranac’s feature in this year’s swimsuit issue.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

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