When Susan Sarandon walked onto the red carpet at the 2016 Screen Actors Guild Awards, she had no idea she was about to ignite one of the most unexpected pop culture debates of the year. At 69, the Oscar-winning actress was no stranger to headlines, but this time the attention wasn’t on her performance or her activism—it was on her outfit.
Sarandon arrived at the event with her children, wearing a crisp white blazer paired with a black bra, a daring fashion choice for an evening that included a solemn In Memoriam tribute. It was bold, unapologetic, and entirely on brand for a woman who has spent her career refusing to conform. But her ensemble struck a nerve with some viewers—most loudly, Piers Morgan, who decided to broadcast his disapproval on Twitter.
Morgan, never one to keep his opinions to himself, wrote that Sarandon’s look was “horribly inappropriate” and even went so far as to ask whether she’d wear such an outfit to a funeral. His criticism instantly set off a storm of commentary online. Within hours, his tweet became a flashpoint, sparking arguments about misogyny, ageism, and whether women—particularly older women—were held to an unfair standard when it came to their appearance.
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