Coughlan and Milliken have stood up to the haters, defending plus-size women.
The coronation of Sara Milliken as Miss Alabama has caused America’s ugliest face to peek out from under the rocks. The sudden controversy surrounding Milliken’s triumph has provoked all kinds of opinions, perhaps among the most pleasant, the comparison of her with plus-size actress Nicola Coughlan.
Milliken’s rise to fame after her win this week coincided with one of the most controversial scenes in the third season of “The Bridgerton,” the hit Netflix series based on the book series by Julia Quinn.
The books and series follow the entanglements of the eponymous family in a fictional England during the Regency era. In the third season, the character of Penelope Featherington, played by Coughlan, becomes especially relevant due to her relationship with Luke Newton’s Colin Bridgerton.
The romance between the characters leads to a love scene in which Coughlan does a nude that has earned him all kinds of comments on both ends of the spectrum. From those who call her “brave” for giving visibility to beauty outside the television canon to those who attack her for promoting an “unhealthy” lifestyle, Nicola has heard it all.
The parallels with Milliken
Milliken’s triumph has caused controversy and great confusion among the general public. Sara competed and won in the National American Miss (NAM) state pageant, a competition unrelated to Miss USA or Miss America. NAM judges focus on qualities such as communication and confidence over physical appearance.
The attacks against Milliken and the contest have multiplied from all platforms, especially social media. Milliken does not let herself be intimidated, and like Coughlan, she has not hesitated to respond head-on to undeserved hate.
Beyond the fact that both are plus-size women standing out in fields traditionally for women that comply with the Western beauty canon, both have stood out for their talent and how they have handled their sudden rise to fame.
Sara and Nicola’s responses
In recent days, Coughlan responded with a healthy dose of humor to those who call her “brave” for her nudity in “The Bridgerton,” saying in an interview, “You know it is hard because I think women with my body type – women with perfect breasts, we don’t get to see ourselves on screen enough and I’m very proud as a member of the perfect breast community. I hope you enjoy seeing them.”
Milliken, for her part, responded on her Facebook account. “The things that have been said about me are truly disgusting, and I cannot fathom how people think it’s okay to say these things,” lamented Miss Alabama.
“I could give up, hide my face, and stop posting on social media,” Milliken admitted. “But instead, I say WATCH ME. Watch me serve my community, give my all into preparing for nationals, and show every single hater why a plus-size woman can and should be a titleholder.”
