Olivia Rodrigo says dress criticism ‘normalises paedophilia in our culture’

By Pierra Willix, Press Association Senior Entertainment Reporter

Olivia Rodrigo has hit back over the criticism of her wearing a babydoll dress, labelling it “so weird” and that it “normalises paedophilia in our culture”.

The American singer is set to release her third album, You Seem Pretty Sad For A Girl So In Love, next month.

However, she has come under fire for wearing a pink-and-white floral puff-sleeve babydoll dress with matching ruffled bloomers.

Speaking on The New York Times Podcast Popcast, Rodrigo said it was her “right” to dress how she wanted – but added that recent online criticism of her wearing babydoll dressses “shows how we really normalise paedophilia in our culture”.

“Also, it’s just this rhetoric we’re fed as girls since we’re so little, which is, don’t wear that because then a man is going to sexualise your body and it’s your fault. It’s so weird,” she said.

Addressing recent outfits in which she wore babydoll dresses, the singer said she “didn’t think I looked sexy at all”, but simply felt “cool and comfortable”.

She then went on to explain how she thought criticising women for dressing in this way was “losing the plot a little bit”.

“I just think if we start dressing in a way that’s like, ‘I don’t want some f****** freak to think that I’m sexy like a baby’ or some crazy thing like that. I think it’s losing the plot a little bit. I’m just very protective of younger women, girls, and I don’t ever want them to be fed that rhetoric,” she said.

Earlier this month, the 23-year-old performed for the Spotify Billions Club, where she wore a floral top with ruffled bloomers, which saw her face intense criticism. She also wore a similar outfit in her Drop Dead music video.

Speaking on the podcast, she added that the backlash had made her “so upset”.

“What’s really disturbing is I have worn outfits that are maybe revealing on stage,” she said, then describing one that included a “sparkly bra and little shorts”.

“That’s fun, I felt cool and comfortable in that. And that wasn’t inappropriate, but me fully covered up in a dress that people deemed to be childlike was inappropriate.”

Rodrigo’s full appearance on the podcast will be released later today.

Her third album will be released on June 12th.