
Emily Ratajkowski made a statement with her British GQ June cover shoot. The stunning model, 28, posed in nothing but a T-shirt with Senator Bernie Sanders‘ photo and the phrase ‘Rage Against The Machine’ printed on it and a pair of black underpants. The image, captured in her New York City apartment by husband Sebastian Bear-McClard, appeared as the cover of the outlet’s “Heroes” issue, where the Gone Girl actress and activist revealed what makes a hero and who is inspiring her during the global COVID-19 pandemic.
For Emily, a hero is “someone who goes up against systems of power” and “fights the status quo even when it’s difficult or inconvenient.” The model added that, “As a culture, we’re really quick to celebrate or congratulate a celebrity who uses their platform for good, and that’s cool, but often we overlook incredible people who do amazing work for their community and for the world at large.” This sentiment led Emily to reveal one of her own personal heroes: April Grayson, a woman who inspires incarcerated women and girls to have a voice, knowing firsthand how the mass incarceration system in California can negatively affect them.
“One of those people is a woman called April Grayson, who I was lucky enough to speak on the phone with last week about the health and safety of incarcerated women and girls during this global pandemic,” Emily shared with the outlet. “April knows the terrors of being incarcerated first-hand and she’s dedicated her life very courageously to advocating for those behind bars.” Through the Rise Up project, April has continued to speak to women and girls who are incarcerated on how to better their life, and continues to actively gather information on the negative consequences those incarcerated will have to deal with for the rest of their lives.
