LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Haleigh Rosa, the SKIMS model who was the target of Candace Owens' allegedly ableist comments, expressed her disgust towards the controversial talk show host's remarks. Owens had criticized the new SKIMS campaign, which showcased paraplegic model Rosa sitting in her wheelchair while wearing the adaptive bralette and panties specifically created for people with disabilities.
Last month, the conservative host referred to the campaign as 'ridiculous' during an episode of her show, which triggered criticism from disability activists and actress Christina Applegate online. "I don't really understand how far we're going to take this inclusivity thing. I really don't get it," Owens, 33, said while showing the photo of Rosa, adding that she's "tired of this inclusivity thing."
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'Her words are very disturbing'
Rosa, 34, told Daily Mail, "Her words are very disturbing. To have my body attached to her words - I felt like I had to speak up. She spoke on something she has no idea about." Rosa, who became paraplegic after a car accident eight years ago, stated that she was unaware of the comments and only learned about them through a friend. "The most outrageous thing is not only does she think we [people with disabilities] shouldn't be in an adaptive campaign, she thinks we shouldn't be in any campaign. I am human. I wear not only adaptive clothes, but regular clothes too," Rosa said.
'I think she was uneducated'
Rosa said, "I think she was uneducated. I don't think she has journalistic integrity. She clearly didn't do research. If she took five seconds to look into it she would understand the campaign." She said that Owens apologized days later. "She called me and gave me an apology, if you want to call it that," Rosa said. "It was insincere. She said sorry but I know her views are the same. She didn't want to learn."
'Sorry, Representation Does Not Matter'
In an episode titled 'Sorry, Representation Does Not Matter', Candace Owens returned to her show to discuss the apology regarding her comments and the SKIMS campaign. "If I was a model that was in this campaign, and I heard Candace say 'what is this', I would probably be offended. So I apologize to her," Owens said. However, Owens continued to criticize the SKIMS campaign, describing it as a "participation trophy" for people with disabilities and called it "patronizing".
Rosa said, "Her apology was along the lines of 'we're going to have to agree to disagree.' She said I was checking boxes, that people like me shouldn't be in an ad." Rosa has posed for major brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Off-White, and SKIMS. She hopes to continue being a part of more diverse and inclusive campaigns in the future. "I would love to see more brands reach out and add more people with disabilities in their campaigns for adaptive clothing. Candace said that you shouldn't strive to be just a model - and I'm not just a model," she said. Rosa has also taken on entrepreneurial ventures, co-founding a clean pizza company called 'Yough' and starting the 'For Everyone Foundation' to support individuals with disabilities.
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