Plus-size pregnant woman fired over body-positive photo shoot
A pregnant plus-size woman who went viral for a body-positive photo shoot with her fiancé says the steamy session caused her to be fired from her job.
Stephanie and Arynn (who prefer to not have their last names used) are a newly engaged couple from Overton, Texas, and recently posed for a photo shoot, which went viral for its celebration of body love.
Shot by Wolf & Rose Photography, the images show a topless Stephanie straddling Arynn, the couple standing knee-deep in water, and the two kissing passionately.
“I honestly have never felt more attractive,” Stephanie said of her shoot.
“I was so nervous to see the final result, I didn’t know what to expect but when I saw the album, I was shocked, I look so in love and confident.
"Every person should be able to see themselves in that light. It is really eye-opening.”
Not everyone felt the same way, with Stephanie now claiming her employer, Austin Bank Texas, fired her over the shoot.
“They said I was topless, and it was inappropriate and we’re a family-oriented company,” Stephanie added.
“There was no defending myself, they had made their decision. I gave over a year to a company that I worked really hard for and then to have them turn on me for doing something so positive, something that I was so proud of, to help myself as a woman, it was hurtful.
"People were pulling out their phones at work and showing the pictures and that was blamed on me.”
A bank representative told Yahoo Lifestyle that, per HR policy, it doesn’t comment on personnel matters. However, the story has been gaining traction on Twitter, where one person wrote in part, “Men get modeling contracts when their pics go viral…”
On Friday, Bria Terry of Wolf & Rose Photography said she couldn't help but wonder "how a company who claims to uphold family values can morally terminate an otherwise model employee who is 20+ weeks pregnant with her first child".
"Their decision not only stripped her of her insurance which is without a doubt a major necessity while pregnant, but also her paid maternity leave," she wrote.
