Model and Actress Lily Cole Criticised for Misuse of Burkha to Promote Book

Lily Cole has been criticised for wearing a burka to promote her new book.

The model and actress has since apologised after sharing pictures of herself wearing a burka to promote her new book on Instagram as Afghanistan was being taken by the Taliban.

The British star had posted the selfies while encouraging her 95,000 followers to “embrace diversity”, promoting the release of her book Who Cares Wins. She has since taken them down.

Cole has since apologised, explaining that the photos were old and that she posted them in ignorance of what was happening in Kabul.

“This week I posted an old photo of me wearing a burka loaned to me by a friend,” she said. “As she pointed out I was undermining its original purpose by wearing it with my face exposed, but I understand why the image has upset people and want to sincerely apologise for any offence caused. I hadn’t read the news at the time I posted so it was [incredibly] ill timed (thank you for pointing that out to me).”

Activist Caroline Criado Perez, who is responsible for the campaign to have Jane Austen’s picture on the £10 note, was gobsmacked at the tone deaf post: “I just went to check her Insta as I couldn’t believe that would be recent (not that it would be ok if it were not) and… three days ago. Holy s*** Why?”

Criado Perez added that she thought Cole’s “diversity” message was strange and confusing given that her book is actually about climate change “Completely incoherent i have no idea what she’s trying to say,” she said.