More celebs are taking sides in the Kim Kardashian should-she-have/shouldn’t-she-have nude selfie debate.
On Monday, Kardashian posted a picture of herself in the buff with black bars strategically placed and the caption “When you’re like I have nothing to wear LOL.”
The reality star generated some heat — positive and negative — for doing so, with legendary actress Bette Midler, media personality Piers Morgan and others posting critical comments about the images and others coming out in support.
On Wednesday, Sharon Osbourne posted her own nude selfie to Instagram with the caption “@kimkardashian, you inspired me.”
Reality star Courtney Stodden joined the fray with a nude (and somewhat self-promotional) photo of her own on Twitter, adding, “Oh & I can’t find anything to wear either, Kim!” with the hashtag “girlproblems.”
Model Emily Ratajkowski came out in defense of Kardashian, who was pilloried by Morgan over her decision to post the pics.
“Love when a man comments on a woman’s decision to post a nude photo. Her body, her career,” Ratajkowski tweeted Tuesday.
The flap started shortly after Kardashian posted the initial image.
At first lots of folks seemed to dig it, to the point where Kardashian felt the need to clarify that the photo was a year old and not of her current post-baby body.
“I’m flattered some of u guys thought my post earlier was a recent pic,” she tweeted. “That was my blonde moment a year ago & 25lbs less! #MondayMotivation”
But Midler didn’t love it, tweeting, “Kim Kardashian tweeted a nude selfie today. If Kim wants us to see a part of her we’ve never seen, she’s gonna have to swallow the camera.”
Soon, Morgan tweeted, “I know the old man’s $50 million in debt, Kim – but this is absurd. Want me to buy you some clothes?” West recently claimed that he is $53 million in debt.
Kardashian responded by tweeting, “Hey @piersmorgan never offer to buy a married woman clothes. thats on some ashley madison type s**t #forresearch.”
In response to Midler, Kardashian tweeted, “Hey @BetteMidler I know it’s past your bedtime but if you’re still up and reading this send nudes #justkidding” and “I really didn’t want to bring up how you sent me a gift awhile back trying to be a fake friend then come at me #dejavu.”
Midler later snarked back with “@KimKardashian: I never tried to fake friend you. Looks like anyone can take a selfie but not everyone can take a joke…”
After actress Chloe Moretz tweeted, “I truly hope you realize how important setting goals are for young women, teaching them we have so much more to offer than just our bodies” (the tweet has since been deleted), Kardashian clapped back with “Let’s all welcome @ChloeGMoretz to twitter, since no one knows who she is. Your nylon cover is cute boo.”
Moretz also tweeted, “There’s a huge difference in respecting the platform that you’re given as a celebrity and ‘slut shaming’ something I never have done and – would never do.”
Kardashian ended up posting another photo of herself au naturel with the caption “#liberated.”
She took to her website to express her feelings.
“In all seriousness, I never understand why people get so bothered by what other people choose to do with their lives,” she wrote on her website. “I don’t do drugs, I hardly drink, I’ve never committed a crime — and yet I’m a bad role model for being proud of my body?”
In her essay, the reality star said, “It always seems to come back around to my sex tape. Yes, a sex tape that was made 13 years ago.
“I lived through the embarrassment and fear, and decided to say who cares, do better, move on,” she wrote. “I shouldn’t have to constantly be on the defense, listing off my accomplishments just to prove that I am more than something that happened 13 years ago.”
Kardashian said she feels “empowered” by her body.
“I am empowered by my sexuality,” she wrote. “I am empowered by feeling comfortable in my skin. I am empowered by showing the world my flaws and not being afraid of what anyone is going to say about me.”
She has a supporter in “Modern Family” star Ariel Winter, who on Tuesday tweeted, “No one was body shaming @justinbieber when he posted his nude guitar photo so why @KimKardashian? #herbodyherchoice #InternationalWomensDay.”
Then there’s this from singer Pink, who tweeted Tuesday in support of women “using their brains, their strenght, their work ethic, their talent, their ‘magic’ that they were born with, that they only possess.”
She urged women “to keep on resisting the urge to cave” into using their bodies to gain fame.
“In the quiet moments, you will feel something deeper than the fleeting excitement resulting from attention, you will feel something called pride and self respect,” she wrote.
Of course, the Internet being what it is, critics immediately posted pictures of Pink topless and in revealing outfits of her own.