Update: Since expressing her concern, The Sweet Feminist has now been tagged in Cyrus’s post, but nothing has been said about compensating the original artist. Contacted directly by Cyrus on the post calling out the indiscretion, Cyrus writes “Hi, We saw the image online and didn’t realize it was yours. We will absolutely tag you for your work. This image is not on the Marc Jacobs X Planned Parenthood hoodie we made to raise money and awareness for Planned Parenthood which I know is also close to your heart. It is just on the post and not on the merchandise but we will absolutely tag you and give you the credit for your art. If you could please correct your post, as we’re going to make sure you have all the credit you deserve… thanks for sharing your art and inspiring us.” It should be noted that Cyrus acknowledges seeing the art online and being inspired by it. She also acknowledges that they didn’t know who the original artist was, but continued to use the strong likeness of the image anyway. The Sweet Feminist has now received threats from Cyrus’s supporters.
Singer and activist Miley Cyrus posted an image on her Instagram account to show her support for women and reproductive rights. The photo features Cyrus licking icing off of a cake that features the words, “ABORTION IS HEALTHCARE”. The problem? From its color to its sprinkles, the cake is a direct rip off of one designed by Becca Rea-Holloway, aka The Sweet Feminist. Originally posted on May 15 2018, The Sweet Feminist’s cake is the unmistakable inspiration behind Cyrus’s announcement of her collaboration with Marc Jacobs, Planned Parenthood, and her own Happy Hippie Foundation.
What was seemingly intended as an empowering message by Cyrus, ends up feeling inauthentic and almost ironic. In an effort to show support for women, her team and herself stole from one.
When Feminist Homemaker reached out to The Sweet Feminist directly on Cyrus’s post to make her aware of the theft, she informed us that she was not consulted or informed about the use of her design. She confirmed that Cyrus’s image is, in fact, a direct copy of her own. After doing so, commenting on Cyrus’s post was shortly turned off and many comments tagging the original artist were deleted. Included in the mass deletion was our comment making the artist aware of the image. You can see this below.
Soon after, The Sweet Feminist reached out to her followers to make them aware of the obvious theft.
“@Mileycyrus just announced a collaboration with @marcjacobs @plannedparenthood @happyhippiefdn using this image. It is a direct theft of my own original art work from May 2018, with no credit. It’s literally my exact handwriting, message, and concept. Swipe for comparison! Cake art is for everyone, but this is inexcusable.”
@Thesweetfeminist
This is now the second time in the last 24 hours that Cyrus as been accused by fans of copying art from female artists on Instagram. She recently posted a video of her sexually sticking her fingers into fruit that resemble a vulva. An art form popularized by Stephanie Sarley. Follow us on Instagram for more updates on this story.
