Kristen Stewart Shuts Criticism Over Gender-Bending Stone Cover

The 33-year-old actress, who recently came out as bisexual, attended the Berlinale International Film Festival on Sunday in Berlin for the promotion of her upcoming flick titled, “Love Lies Bleeding”. During the press conference, a question was raised about her gender-bending Rolling Stone magazine cover.

Kristen Stewart Defends Gender-Bending Rolling Stone Cover: “I’m Really Happy With It”

Although the photoshoot led to some criticism on social media, Stewart is “really happy with it.” 

The photos featured the actress wearing jock straps and basketball shots. As soon as the photo was published on the internet, it went viral on social media with a fan pointing out the hyper-sexualized photo that wasn’t seeking any male attention. 

Stewart, on the other hand, enjoyed breaking the stereotypes about how being feminine is explained and expected by society. “It’s OK to take pictures and mix them up in such a way that people aren’t used to,” she said. 

Reportedly, Stewart insisted the androgynous snaps taken by famous photographer Collier Schorr, for the magazine, should not be that big of a deal. However, it drew the public attention faster than expected. “It’s crazy that there aren’t many pictures like that. So, I felt like taking the opportunity to fill the void,” she quipped. 

According to the star, the existence of a female body not designed for exclusively straight males is something people are not comfortable with. Given her lesbian-centric history, her response to the criticism did not surprise a group of her fans. However, others are still questioning her photoshoot for not adhering to gender norms.  

Meanwhile, Stewart disclosed how she was waiting to see from queer cinema in the future. She further explained that her desire to see the development of original cinema has been increasing every single day. 

Besides pictures, Stewart also talked about the need for lesbian-themed movies for mainstream audiences. According to the Twilight alum, the industry should not be making movies by telling others how to feel. She believes that there are not many voices raised for the marginalized outside the capacity of what they are allowed to speak. 

“The era of queer films is over. Maybe some films might happen, but I believe things develop and we move on. It depends on how fast we all are moving forward,” she remarked at the event. In her opinion, movies should not be made for reasons that are usually sidelined, but on “people’s actual experiences, their desires, what they love, where they want to go, and where they come from.” 

The American actress also took the opportunity to share updates about her upcoming starring role in the Susan Sontag biopic.

She informed the Bernilane press that the movie’s format was unique and had been in preparation for a considerable period. She mentioned that they had initiated the project the previous year and intended to complete it, although they were uncertain about the timeline. She further described it as an open-ended process.

The star actress further explained the biopic to be a “hybrid documentary, research project.”

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Meanwhile, on the relationship front, Stewart is currently dating Dylan Meyer, a screenwriter, whom she met on the set of a movie in 2013. Although the two did not meet for the next six years, their second rendezvous happened at a mutual friend’s birthday party in 2019. Ever since, they have been seeing each other and the Hollywood star has been quite vocal about her affection toward fiancée Meyer.