When bikini model Stevie Alger didn’t want a certain photo of her displayed, she got crazy slut-shamed — by her boss

We all have insecurities about our bodies, much as we’d like to be totally confident all of the time. Bikini model Stevie Alger is the same way, but when she expressed some of those insecurities, she got seriously slut-shamed by the very company that hired her.

In a shocking exchange, Aquadiva owner Allison Appleby responded pretty viciously after model Alger expressed some reservations.

“I just don’t really like that photo of myself and my boyfriend and all my friends will be there competing so I’m just self conscious but I know I can’t really do anything about it,” Alger wrote after being informed of what image was being used — and how large the display of it would be.

Alger wasn’t refusing to participate in the campaign or demanding that Aquadiva use a different picture, she was just expressing her concerns and disappointment over the image chosen.

But when Appleby asked what she didn’t like about the photo, the conversation took a turn.

Things got nasty when the model didn’t reply quickly enough.

“This is such a rude and immature way to treat us,” the swimwear owner wrote. “You don’t seem to be self conscious in your latest post with the way you are portraying your self image — sitting with your legs so far apart! It seems like you are just like a lot of other Insta girls — so fake.”

Those words are seriously not okay. But they’re not just mean. They’re also slut-shaming. Commenting on any of Alger’s other photos was out of line, and trying to claim that Alger can’t feel ever insecure because she’s posed in a way that Appleby deems immodest is incredibly unfair.

No one should ever be slut-shamed.

Luckily, Appleby seems to realize that she took things way too far.

“I feel so sick to the stomach about it,” she told DailyMail.com. “I have apologised to Stevie twice now but she has not accepted my apology… What can I say? I’ve been in the business for 30 years, what I did was wrong. I was so distraught with what happened. I was horrible to her. It was very out of character.”

Though Appleby is still a little defensive about her role in the conflict — and all of the criticism she’s faced because of it — she knows she has to take responsibility.

“She got one nasty b***h slap from me and now I’m getting hate mail from people who don’t know the full story. I’ve had people call me a a cow and a pig. They don’t know me, it’s unfair but I have to own up. I’m ashamed of it. If I could take it back, I would.”

For her part, Alger is ready to let things go.

“I absolutely think what she said and how she has handled herself is wrong in so many ways, but I think it will be best to end it here to hopefully move on,” she told DailyMail.com. “I’m a huge believer in standing up to bullies and I’m lucky to have [boyfriend] by my side to help me. I’m very happy that at least we made a point and hopefully she will never treat someone like that again.”

We hope so, too. Speaking to someone that inappropriately is never okay, and neither is slut-shaming. We home that Appleby truly learned that what she did was wrong and that everyone can move forward from this incident.