Christian McCaffrey has taken his talents from the field to the commentary box to defend his new wife, Olivia Culpo.
The former Miss Universe and San Francisco 49ers running back got married in Watch Hill, Rhode Island this past weekend, and judging by Vogue's exclusive photos, the nuptials appear to have gone off without a hitch.
But the happy couple faced one obstacle before their wedding: online rumors. Hated Culpo's cover-up wedding dress, a classic Dolce & Gabbana custom design, matched well with their traditional ceremony, but clashed with others' opinions.
“I didn't want it to exude sexiness in any way,” Culpo told Vogue about the dress. “I wanted it to be unpretentious, to complement me rather than overpower me. It's very beautiful and simple.”
“When I think about Christian and what he loves and the moments he thinks are the most beautiful, it's in things like this – timeless, veiled and elegant,” she said.
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Now, McCaffrey is hitting back at their haters.
Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey are married:Look at her dress
Christian McCaffrey slams Olivia Culpo for wedding dress criticism
In Instagram and TikTok videos posted after the McCaffrey family ceremony, stylist Kennedy Bingham added to the harsh criticism aimed at Culpo's understated look, calling the dress “out of character.” However, the second son of a family of American football players did not attend the game.
“What an evil thing to post online. I hope you find joy and peace in this world like my beautiful wife does,” the Stanford University graduate wrote in Bingham's video.
The normally good-natured McCaffrey is the son of former NFL player Ed McCaffrey and has three brothers who also played in the sport: Miami Dolphins coach Max McCaffrey, University of Northern Colorado quarterback Dylan McCaffrey and Washington Commanders wide receiver Luke McCaffrey.
“@christianmccaffrey so what's wrong with pointing out the underlying internalized misogyny behind her theory, your (in my opinion) patriarchal comments, and the racist/homophobic/fatphobic history of the designers she's worked with?” Bingham replied to the football star.
Others pointed out that Culpo wore a flashy, less-than-modest outfit to the couple's cake-cutting, which Vogue magazine described as “a silk bodysuit with a mini-cage skirt.”
Dolce & Gabbana has often been at the center of controversy over the past decade.
In 2015, the design duo apologized after shocking the fashion world by refusing to allow gay adoption or IVF children, even though Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana are gay themselves.
In comments that drew much criticism, the designers called IVF children “artificial” and “chemical offspring, borrowed wombs.”
In 2018, the two Italians apologized after a video of an Asian model eating Italian food with chopsticks sparked outrage on social media when many saw it as disrespectful to Chinese culture.
'From Miss Universe to Miss Pick Me' Stylist Kennedy Bingham Talks Olivia Culpo
“From Miss Universe to Miss Pick Me, Olivia Culpo takes the crown,” Bingham's post, which she captioned, drew backlash from critics of both hers and Culpo's.
The TikTok star, who boasts 1 million followers, told viewers that there was “nothing wrong” with Culpo's “modest attire,” but said that Culpo's comments “go beyond simply wanting something modest for herself and are pushing her idea of what every bride should look like.”
Some commenters disagreed with Bingham's stance, with some saying, “This is really unnecessary and disrespectful. The internet is going crazy,” and “This is going too far,” while others said, “It's not that serious. She had a church wedding, she values her faith and wanted a dress that reflected that,” and “She should be so embarrassed about her opinion.”
Others accused Culpo of promoting the “trad wife” angle that is popular among conservative content creators on social media, with one person writing about Bingham's video, “Don't tell me this dress is unique. There are plenty of beautiful and modest dresses out there without the vulgar trad wife context.”
Another user wrote, “It's hot in Rhode Island and she wore a winter wedding dress….. terrible choice. She was gonna be hot.”
And then, of course, there's McCaffrey.
Contributors: Maria Puente, Sydney Henderson, David Oliver
