The Verdict Is In: EmRata’s Stormy Daniels Tee Wins on All Counts
Emily Ratajkowski found guilty of letting her 'fit do the talking. On Thursday, the model stepped out in a Stormy Daniels tee, not-so-subtly signaling her stance on a certain former president (hint: he's been compared to a Cheeto).
Ratajkowski's style statement was, clearly, a nod to the much-anticipated culmination of Donald Trump's hush-money trial. On Thursday evening, a jury found Trump guilty on all 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal the purpose of payments made to his attorney, Michael Cohen.
Trump attempted to pass these payments off as legal fees — but in reality, they were made in a deal Cohen brokered with porn star Stormy Daniels in 2016 to silence her from speaking out about a sexual encounter she had with the former president.
Later testifying about the encounter, Daniels said Trump made sexual advances after inviting her to his hotel suite during a golf tournament in Nevada. He prevented her from leaving the room by blocking the door, after which Daniels "blacked out" and woke up on the bed with her clothes off.
The Wall Street Journal broke the scandal in 2018. Later that year, Cohen was sentenced to three years in prison for his payments to Daniels. Fast forward to March 2024, when Trump was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury. His trial kicked off on April 15 and, well, here we all now: guilty on all counts.
Since Daniels' entrance into the spotlight, she has, in certain circles, become a symbol of resistance — not just to Trump himself, but to a larger culture that discourages women from speaking out against powerful men.
Ratajkowski's support of Daniels may, in part, stem from her own experiences. In 2020, she alleged that Jonathan Leder sexually assaulted her during a photoshoot in 2012. And in her book, My Body, she alleged that Robin Thicke groped her while filming the music video for his hit single "Blurred Lines."
Ratajkowski's shirt is a bold statement, but it's not just a means of generating headlines. It's actually part of a charitable initiative by Platform, a brand by gallerist David Zwirner. Designed in collaboration with cartoonist Robert Crumb, the tee benefits Safe Horizon, a non-profit that supports survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.
If you're interested in supporting the cause, head to Platform's website and learn more about the work Safe Horizon does.
