Jessica Simpson, Natalie Portman: The accidental celeb feud no one saw coming

Jessica Simpson and Natalie Portman got caught up in an accidental war of words online. Photos / Getty Images

There are many celebrity feuds to keep up with but Jessica Simpson hitting back at Natalie Portman is thankfully not one of them.

The pair were caught up in something of an accidental feud when Simpson apparently took a quote by Portman the wrong way.

Portman gave an interview with USA Today in which she said: "I remember being a teenager, and there was Jessica Simpson on the cover of a magazine saying, 'I'm a virgin,' while wearing a bikini, and I was confused. Like, I don't know what this is trying to tell me as a woman, as a girl."

Simpson took to social media to respond. She wrote:

"@Natalieportman — I was disappointed this morning when I read that I 'confused' you by wearing a bikini in a published photo taken of me when I was still a virgin in 1999. As public figures, we both know our image is not totally in our control at all times, and that the industry we work in often tries to define us and box us in. However, I was taught to be myself and honour the different ways all women express themselves, which is why I believed then — and I believe now — that being sexy in a bikini and being proud of my body are not synonymous with having sex.

"I have always embraced being a role model to all women to let them know that they can look however they want, wear whatever they want and have sex or not have sex with whomever they want. The power lies within us as individuals.

"I have made it my practice not to shame other women for their choices. In this era of Time's Up and all the great work you have done for women, I encourage you to do the same."

Portman then responded to Simpson directly, commenting under her Instagram post:

"Thank you for your words. I completely agree with you that a woman should be allowed to dress however she likes and behave however she likes and not be judged. I only meant to say I was confused — as a girl coming of age in the public eye around the same time — by the media's mixed messages about how girls and women were supposed to behave. I didn't mean to shame you and I'm sorry for any hurt my words may have caused. I have nothing but respect for your talent and your voice that you use to encourage and empower women all over the globe."

Portman also issued an apology via Entertainment Tonight, saying: "I would never intend to shame anybody and that was absolutely not my intention. I was really talking about mixed media messages out there for young women and completely apologise for any hurt it may have caused because that was definitely not my intention.

"What I said was I was confused by mixed messages when I was a young girl growing up, and there are a lot of messages for how women should be, and women should be allowed to do whatever they want. It is a mistake to say anyone's name. I could have made my message without naming."