Bikini model Natalie Schlater quits social media after backlash over 'insensitive' Indonesia rice farmer post
An Instagram influencer model has reportedly "quit" the platform after her followers were outraged with the caption in one of her posts. Natalie Schlater faced major backlash after she shared a photograph of herself in Bali, Indonesia, under a gray sky, LadBible reports. The social media star was seen looking out into the distance wearing nothing but a white bikini, while a man worked in the field some distance in front of her.
"Thinking about how different my life is from the man picking in the rice field every morning," she wrote alongside.
However, her statement was not well received by hundreds of her 12,000 followers on Instagram, with several comments criticizing her for her narcissism.
"The rice farmer is probably more content with their life though and not the status chasing like the rest of us," one critic wrote.
"From an 'influencer' just sounds like a little humble brag to me," another said.
"It is the epitome of the social media generation," a third user commented.
Another comment mocked Natalie's original caption, writing: "Just thinking about how I'm so popular and rich and this guy is a rice farmer."
At first, Schlater tried to defend her post claiming she had been totally misunderstood and never intended to offend anyone.
"I am very aware of my privileges and how grateful I am for all that I have in my life and I was recognizing how hardworking and unbelievably kind the Indonesian people are and never meant to come off disrespectful," she said in a statement. "That being said I am so sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings which was never ever my intention. Please be kinder to one another and spread kindness and not hate."
However, she deleted the account later.
In a conversation with Bored Panda, the bombshell said she wished she could go back in time and do it all differently, adding the controversy had broken her heart.
"It breaks my heart to see this photo turned into a different light than it was originally meant to be," she said. "I have always loved the Indonesian people and their culture and overall attitude towards life and the people who come to visit their country."
"I worked extremely hard to save up enough money to go on that trip as I do not come from wealth as it may look like from social media," she added. "I completely understand that my caption can be taken wrong because of the social climate we live in today and if I could go back in time I wish I would have just worded it differently."