Emily Ratajkowski Explores Dating and Identity After Divorce

In a candid personal essay published on June 12, model and actress Emily Ratajkowski detailed her journey into a period of intense dating and sexual exploration following her 2022 divorce, framing it as an attempt to shed a "Madonna" image and adopt a powerful "villain" persona. Ratajkowski, 35, was married to film producer Sebastian Bear-McClard from 2018 until their separation in July 2022, and their divorce was finalized last summer. They share a five-year-old son, Sylvester.

Ratajkowski wrote that her marriage collapsed in the period after their son's birth, which she described as a violent transition. She stated that she and Bear-McClard stopped having sex six months after their son was born and separated less than a year later. Following the split, she said she felt subjected to pitying looks and wanted to combat the stigma of being seen as "unwanted" or a tragic figure.

Just one week after the separation, she embarked on what she called a dating "mania." She wrote that she decided to, in her words, "f*** my way into a new kind of woman," aiming to destroy the "special girl" archetype and replace it with the "whore." She consciously adopted a persona inspired by villains...