Cheryl Tiegs Responds to Backlash After Calling Ashley Graham Unhealthy

Cheryl Tiegs (Photo: Rob Latour/Rex/Shutterstock)

Cheryl Tiegs went to Twitter to respond to the backlash after she said that she doesn’t think size-16 model Ashley Graham is “healthy.”

Tiegs explained her comments in a tweet, writing, “To clarify re bodyweight. Being anorexic/bulimic/overweight all connected to health problems. I want all to be as healthy as they can.”

The former Sports Illustrated model said in an interview Wednesday night that she thinks the rise of full-figured models such as new SI cover star, the size-16 Ashley Graham, is problematic.

Ashley Graham’s Sports Illustrated cover (Photo: James Macari/Sports Illustrated)

“I don’t like it that we’re talking about full-figured women because we’re glamorizing them, and your waist should be smaller than 35 [inches],” Tiegs told E! News. “That’s what Dr. Oz said and I’m sticking to it.”

And Tiegs is concerned about Graham specifically.

“I don’t think it’s healthy,” Tiegs said. “Her face is beautiful, beautiful. But I don’t think it’s healthy in the long run.”

Reps for Graham told People they have “no comment” at this time.