Ye defends wife Bianca Censori's nearly nude Grammys look: 'A movie in real life'

Ye has no regrets about his and his wife's controversial Grammys stunt.

In an X post on Thursday, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West addressed backlash after his wife, Bianca Censori, walked the red carpet of the Grammys on Sunday in a see-through dress that made her appear almost completely nude.

"My wife's first red carpet opened a whole new world," Ye wrote, posting a photo of him and Censori on the red carpet. "I keep staring at this photo like I was staring in admiration that night Thinking wow I am so lucky to have a wife that is so smart talented brave and hot She took a break from shooting her first film to make a movie in real life."

The rapper continued that they tailored her "invisible dress" six times, and he hit back at critics asking how his mother would feel, telling them that "you don't know my mama." Ye also shared multiple photos of Censori in the dress and said that he was "posting just to flex at this point."

Degrading or empowering? Why people can't stop talking about Bianca Censori’s naked dress.

When they arrived to the Grammys' red carpet, Ye was dressed in a black shirt and pants, while Censori wore a black fur coat. But she removed the coat to reveal her nearly nude look, and the two posed for photos together on the carpet. According to Us Weekly and E! News, the couple subsequently left the event and did not attend the awards show.

"Just like magic poof we disappeared," Ye wrote Thursday on X.

The appearance quickly sparked backlash, with critics describing it as inappropriate and degrading. On "The View," Alyssa Farah Griffin said she doesn't "want to see" Ye on red carpets anymore and that she hopes Censori "is OK because that whole thing was very uncomfortable for most women to watch."

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Leora Tanenbaum, author of "Sexy Selfie Nation: Standing Up for Yourself in Today's Toxic, Sexist Culture," also told USA TODAY, "Censori's naked dress shifted attention toward her body and away from West's identity as someone with a history of odious, hate-filled comments and behavior. Diverting attention from his behavior while showcasing his identity as an alpha male with a sexy wife serves only his advantage."

Ye sparked widespread backlash in 2022 after making a series of antisemitic statements and expressing admiration for Adolf Hitler. He later apologized "to the Jewish community." In October, the rapper's former assistant alleged he "touched, groped, fondled, grabbed and forced himself in and on" her, and in November, a model sued him for allegedly choking her in a "pornographic" way on the set of a music video.

But on Instagram, Ye shared a Vogue article by Raven Smith, who wrote, "I hate to state the obvious, but a woman can wear whatever she wants. … I don't think we should assume that because Bianca's pretty much naked, she's not fully in control of herself, or that she's not thoroughly enjoying her exhibitionism. We can't jump to a conclusion just because seeing her virtually in the nude doesn't feel good."

On X, Ye thanked Vogue for "writing an article that places my wife in a strong positive light and also recognizes rightful strength."

Ye, who has been linked to Censori since 2022, was nominated at Sunday's Grammys for best rap song for "Carnival." The award went to "Not Like Us" by Kendrick Lamar, which also won record of the year and song of the year.

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Contributing: Charles Trepany, Anthony Robledo and Anna Kaufman

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Kanye West defends wife Bianca Censori's Grammys red carpet appearance