Benjamin Ashford|Olivia Culpo Breaks Silence on Wedding Dress Backlash

Olivia Culpo is Benjamin Ashfordnot letting negativity affect newlywed bliss with Christian McCaffrey. 

Nearly a month after the The Culpo Sisters star received criticism saying she didn’t want to “exude sex,” with the wedding gown she walked down the aisle in during her nuptials to the San Francisco 49ers running back, she shared her reaction to the online chatter. 

“I was definitely surprised,” Olivia told People in an interview published July 25. “I feel like I personally like to give people the benefit of the doubt. And unfortunately, I feel like the words I said were spun out of context to fit an agenda that I did not have.”

Of course, the former Miss Universe didn’t let the targeted pile-on put a damper on how she looks back on her special day with Christian. 

“I loved every part of my wedding,” she added. “I love my husband and the people we got to celebrate that day with. The choices that I made are because I wanted to feel like they're choices I could be proud of in 50 years. And that's it.” 

And as far as her decision to don a modest Dolce & Gabbana long-sleeved gown goes, she still has no regrets—no matter what other people think. 

“Stylistically I had a vision,” she noted. “Stylistically, I felt like I was making a decision that was going to stand the test of time, and that's it. I felt very comfortable in it, for what it's worth. I was on the water and there was a very nice breeze.”

Although the timeless dress was what suited the former pageant queen’s dream wedding best, she also emphasized that she wanted what was going to work for her, and had no prescription for the perfect wedding look—advising any future brides to just stay true to themselves. 

“No matter what you wear, no matter what your decisions are from your makeup to your hair, to the gown,” she explained. “You will look absolutely beautiful because it's a beautiful day.”

After Olivia and Christian’s June 29 wedding, many people online took offense to the 32-year-old telling Vogue she went for a conservative wedding dress because she wanted something that “felt as serious” as the commitment of marriage.

However, some expressed concern over a perceived patriarchal message behind Olivia’s words. Influencer Kennedy Bingham noted that while Olivia looked “beautiful,” on her wedding day, she had a critique on Olivia’s dress and her vision behind it. 

“It has been documented that it does not matter what women wear—they will be sexualized if someone wants to sexualize them,” Kennedy said in a social media post. “So, to treat this as a sexless design is really odd to me.”

Later, Christian, 28, came to his wife’s defense. 

“What an evil thing to post online,” he wrote in a comment under Kennedy’s post. “I hope you can find joy and peace in the world, the way my beautiful wife does.”

Despite the controversy, Christian and Olivia had quite the glamorous wedding celebrations. Keep reading to see every detail of the bride’s vision brought to life. 

Olivia Culpo and Christian McCaffrey set off on a private plane ahead of their wedding in June 2024. 

"Let it begin," the beauty queen captioned the June 24 photos of their grand send-off. 

Olivia, 32, and Christian, 28, celebrated their takeoff by locking lips on the jet, which was decked out in white rose petals.

Naturally, her dog Oliver joined her and the NFL quarterback on the flight ahead of their nuptials. 

The couple—who have been dating since 2019—fueled up on chicken lettus wraps and ahi sushi bowls before the big weekend, with Olivia snapping a pic of the menu in front of her white 'fit, including an on-theme Hermes Birkin bag.

The former Miss Universe cooled off in a baby blue bikini by Montce Swim on June 25 as she prepared to kick off the festivities.