Ruby Rose defends Jennifer Lawrence after criticism over ‘slutty power lesbian’ comment

Fashion, style and the gender fluid movement are hot topics at the minute after Jayden Smith’s surprise appearance in a woman’s wear collection for a major fashion house.

Jennifer Lawrence’s style? "Slutty power lesbian", apparently.

The famously forthright Joy actress gave another candid interview this week, part of which focused on her role as the face of Dior. When asked by Glamour to describe how she likes to dress for shoots, Lawrence responded: “‘Slutty power lesbian.’ That is literally what I say to a stylist. [Laughs.] I don’t know if that’s offensive.”

This remark saw Lawrence criticised for appropriating a sexuality, with one Twitter user telling her: “Unless you're actually a ‘slutty power lesbian’, you probably shouldn't describe your style that way.”

Ruby Rose, who appears in the new campaign for Denim & Supply Ralph Lauren, dismissed suggestions by The Cut that Lawrence was “aspiring to or appropriating lesbian style” as a straight woman. The androgynous Orange is the New Black actress is an advocate of LGBT issues and has long championed the gender fluid movement. “I hadn’t heard that quote until you just told me now,” she said. “But what I do know is that Jennifer Lawrence is an amazing actress and an amazing advocate for women and women’s empowerment and the wage gap in Hollywood and so many amazing things. I think that is an easy quote to misinterpret or to pick apart.

“But I know that she has an amazing sense of humour, and for her to say that, I know that would never come from a bad place. She’s always spending so much of her time supporting other women and the LGBT community. There’s no way that she meant that with any kind of malice. If it was someone else, maybe I would think into it, but because it’s her, I just know what she meant.”

Rose also praised Jaden’s much-talked about unveiling as one of the faces of Louis Vuitton’s Spring 2016 womenswear collection.

The 17-year-old appears next to three female models in Bruce Weber’s images, but his appearance has been met with mixed responses. While many have praised him as a non-binary icon for promoting the gender fluid movement, others have criticised the decision to chose him instead of a transgender model.

But Rose insisted the campaign was a positive step forward for transgender visibility and the gender fluid movement.

“To be able to make this huge impact on what was really a huge transgender and gender-fluidity movement last year is really going to be for the greater good of society because it’s going to let people know they’re not different in a weird way; they’re different in a way that should be celebrated.”

The Independent has contacted Lawrence’s publicist for comment.