Kyle Richards, a cast member on The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, recently shared a photograph from her family vacation that is causing some controversy on Instagram. Kyle's snap shows her 9-year-old daughter, Portia, enjoying a beautiful day on vacation in Italy. But some commenters are extremely upset that Portia is wearing a two-piece swimsuit in the pic.
Some commenters suggested that Portia was too young for a two-piece, while others thought the picture might attract pedophiles.
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"That's not very smart to be taking [a] picture like that of your little girl in [a] bikini for sick people to see," commented @lidusiamaria. One user, @molly_my_munchkin, wrote: "Don't put your semi naked small child on a public Instagram. Do you have any idea how many totally creepy men there are out there!" Kyle responded to that particular user, saying: "@molly_my_munchkin if that's where your mind goes then shame on you. This is an innocent photo of a child just out of the pool."
Others were dismissive of the critics, posting that there was nothing sexual or inappropriate about the child's outfit.
"Don't listen to these fools," wrote @tanya6775. "Your daughter looks beautiful and like she's having fun. That's what counts. Who doesn't post pics of their vacations with their family members in swim suits, if that's what they're wearing? People are idiots. You are a good mother, and you obviously wouldn't do anything that would affect your daughter negatively."
"How dare you say anything about an innocent child on vacation?" wrote @njmadmom. "What's wrong with you people?"
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And user @this.is.kylie pointed out an interesting double standard: "Just curious... would you be going all batsh-t crazy if this were a photo of a boy in bathing suit bottoms with no shirt on?"
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What do you think: Is it a bad idea to post a photo like this on Instagram—or is it totally harmless?
Controversy aside, here's hoping that Kyle's family enjoyed their vacation, and that Portia had a great day swimming.
Nina is a health and culture reporter who has written for SELF, Glamour, Cosmopolitan, the New York Times, and more. She loves vegetable gardening, crossword puzzles, and her beloved mystery mutt.
