Barbara Palvin's Appearance Sparked Yet Another Round Of Online Feuding Between Men And Women
2- 21.10.2026, 7:50
The Victoria's Secret Fashion Show has once again caused a stir.
The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show has once again caused a stir following its return; the shows were not held from 2018 to 2023. This decision was explained by the brand’s plan to move away from an unrealistic portrayal of the female body and to stop deliberately sexualizing models at the shows. Recently, on October 18, 2026, the show took place for the third time in the last decade. And one of its main stars was model Barbara Palvin, who gave birth to a daughter just a few weeks ago. A battle erupted on social media: A man marveled, asking why all women couldn’t be like that, while women fiercely set out to explain why they can’t, writes “Zerkalo”.
Barbara Palvin’s pregnancy had been known since the summer. At the time, the Hungarian model spoke candidly about her struggles with weight gain and said she was “freaking out” because her belly was getting bigger and her old pants no longer buttoned. According to her, her husband, American actor Dylan Sprouse, reassured Barbara by reminding her that together they were “creating a life.”
Palvin and Sprouse’s daughter, named Sylvie, was born on September 7, 2026, but the news wasn’t made public until a little later—at the end of the month. Only then did the family announce it on Instagram.
And now—just six weeks after giving birth—Barbara Palvin is back at work and modeling some rather revealing lingerie at the Victoria’s Secret show. Some saw this as proof that absolutely any woman can be in great shape shortly after giving birth.
For example, the American magazine *Evie* published an opinion piece by author Zoe Carter with the telling headline: “Barbara Palvin is proof that pregnancy doesn’t ruin your body.” The magazine itself positions itself as “the future of women’s publications.”
In reality, however, Evie was founded by a married couple, Gabriel and Brittany Hugobuma, and has been noted, among other things, for publishing conspiracy theories and anti-vaccine views. The publishers themselves have called their creation a “conservative Cosmopolitan.” This is likely why the views published there also align with those of some men who are actively voicing their opinions on social media.
“For those women who excuse their neglected appearance by saying they ‘gave birth,’ this woman is a good example: she gave birth six weeks ago,” wrote one user on X, attaching photos of Palvin from the fashion show.
This opinion garnered few likes—fewer than a thousand in a couple of days. However, it drew indignant women with counterarguments.
“This woman’s husband is Dylan Sprouse. And who the f*** are you, anyway? Do women like that even pay attention to people like you? You’d be better off hanging out with your own kind,” one user reacted emotionally in the comments.
Some are annoyed by the men’s communication style, while others blame them for “bad choices.” What is heteropessimism and why is it being discussed in the West?
“As if you could provide your wife with the same opportunities that this woman’s husband provides her. Those b**ches have three nannies and five assistants. All you’re capable of is misogyny on social media, you idiots,” wrote another user, X, in response.
“The bar is set so low for women. She’s not that skinny at all—I’d even say she’s a little on the chubby side. Plus, they don’t even show her stomach to us. It’s just crazy that people are presenting this as some kind of incredible ‘get-back-in-shape’ story. How out of shape do you have to be yourself for a woman who took care of herself throughout her entire pregnancy to seem so impressive to you? “It’s enough to simply be in good physical shape before pregnancy and stay active during it,” notes another user, X.
On Russian-language social media, however, the topic mainly came up in connection with Palvin’s appearance. Some recalled that not all models bounced back as quickly, even with the resources and opportunities available to them. For example, Brazilian model Adriana Lima, who gave birth in late August 2022, hadn’t regained her pre-pregnancy figure even by December of that year.
“Adriana Lima walked the same runway, and this is what she looked like after giving birth,” writes one Russian-speaking user, X, attaching a photo. “Do you think she isn’t disciplined enough? Lazy? Didn’t work out before or after giving birth? Recovery is a lottery. Some people are back to having a flat stomach in just ten days, while others take years to get back in shape.”
“It seems like about 90% of Hollywood <�…> stars have become thin—and very, very thin—on all kinds of drugs in recent years, and yet none of them have ended up with bodies like Victoria’s Secret angels,” — notes another user on the same social network.
Several actresses have appeared in public having lost a significant amount of weight, even though they weren’t overweight to begin with. People on social media fear this will become a trend
On the other hand, Barbara Palvin’s story has, on the contrary, inspired some users. “Women are powerful. We can do anything if we set our minds to it,” wrote one user on Threads. And some even demonstrated through their own examples that it’s possible to stay slim.
In just a couple of days, the debate surrounding Barbara Palvin’s return to the runway became so heated that it was even covered by The New York Times. This is all because some of the online discussions have moved beyond the issue of appearance and are now highlighting another problem—the extremely short maternity leave in the U.S.
“I tell everyone: going back to work is normal,” Barbara Palvin said for the report while sitting in the makeup chair backstage at the show. “Maternity leave [in the U.S.] usually lasts six to eight weeks; tomorrow marks exactly six weeks, so I’m just doing what everyone else does—and all I have to do is walk the runway.
It’s worth noting that many American women themselves are dissatisfied with this state of affairs.
Earlier, Barbara Palvin revealed that in mid-2025 she underwent surgery for endometriosis—a chronic condition. The procedure does not mean a complete cure for her, but it helped manage her symptoms by removing the lesions and the scar tissue that had spread beyond the uterus.
Model Barbara Palvin’s appearance at the Victoria’s Secret fashion show sparked yet another round of online feuding between women and men. What are they even complaining about?
Barbara Palvin walked the Victoria’s Secret runway six weeks after giving birth. Social media users debated standards of female beauty and the capabilities of new mothers.
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