'This is utterly distasteful': Russian model girlfriend of Cristiano Ronaldo slammed for posing semi-naked for Bring Back Our Girls campaign
- Irina Shayk posted images to support bid to save kidnapped Nigerian girls
- Pictures show her with just '#bring back our girls' sign covering her body
- Faced online backlash from followers who branded her 'tasteless and vile'
The model girlfriend of footballer Cristiano Ronaldo has been criticised for her 'disrespectful and ignorant' decision to pose semi-naked for the Bring Back Our Girls campaign.
Irina Shayk, best known for featuring in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue, posted pictures online supporting the campaign to rescue nearly 300 schoolgirls kidnapped in Nigeria.
The images show the 28-year-old Russian with just a piece of cardboard saying '#bring back our girls!!!' covering her semi-naked body.
Soon after the pictures appeared on her Facebook and Instagram pages, she faced a massive backlash, with her followers accusing the star of being disrespectful.
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'Shameless': Irina Shayk holds a sign over her semi-naked body in support of the Bring Back Our Girls campaign in a pictures which has sparked criticism on her Instagram page
Online backlash: This image was posted on Shayk's Facebook page, prompting one user to brand her 'utterly distasteful and ignorant'
Captured: This image is taken from a video released by the Nigerian terror group Boko Haram reportedly showing some of the girls who were kidnapped from their school last month
Ordeal: This girl, who was made to speak to the camera, appeared fearful
Facebook user Jeremy Gregory said: 'This is utterly distasteful, ignorant, vile and egregious. Stop your self pandering.
'Using a cause as horrible as the kidnapping of these poor girls and making it about you is messed up. It's shameless.
'How about using some of your modeling money and donate it to one of these organizations working to free these girls?'
Another follower responded: 'Pretty tasteless and disrespectful. No class.
'This is exactly the justification terrorists are probably using to prevent women from receiving "western education."'
Support: David Cameron and CNN's Christiane Amanpour with the Twitter campaign's hashtag
Michelle Obama shared this photo of herself along with the caption 'Our prayers are with the missing Nigerian girls and their families'
Nigeria Kidnapped Girls Shown In New Boko Haram Video - 12 May 2014
Another poster said: 'Seriously? Do you even know what that means?
'This isn't just another photoshoot. These girls were kidnapped and you decided to show half your t***? How mature of you...!'
Instagram user Toni Okuboyejo wrote: 'Im nigerian and i find this so disrespectful. People have turned this #bringbackourgirls into a fad.
'Do you even know how/why the girls were kidnapped and by who? Do you even care?
'Or are you just posting this up because your fans will think you care and have an idea of what is going on around the world.
'Before these girls were kidnapped, boko haram has been terrorizing nigeria for 10 YEARS but you probably didnt know that and probably didnt know that boko haram is the group that kidnapped them.
Malala Yousafzai (left), who was shot by the Taliban for campaigning for better education for girls in Pakistan, and U.S. actress Amy Poehler (right) tweeted their support for the Bring Back Our Girls campaign
Support: Cara Delevingne holds up a sign with the hashtag #bringbackourgirls
'You just see everyone posting #bringbackourgirls and think its suddenly cool to be a humanitarian(not sure if thats the word im looking for).'
However, others were supportive of her actions.
Jorge Chaínho Manuel said: 'Calm down Jeremy Gregory, Irina has used her trademark to join a noble cause movement.
'I am certain that she meant to genuinely help the plea.'
Covered up: Model Irina Shayk looked comfy but a world away from her flesh-baring photo shoots and Instagram snaps. Seen here in New York on Wednesday
