Milana Aleksandrovna Vayntrub is an actress and comedian that first came to fame through her role as a bubbly salesperson with big boobs named Lily Adams in AT&T commercials.
Of course, playing the AT&T spokeswoman role isn’t Vayntrub’s only claim to fame. She has a number of other significant acting roles on her resume, such as appearances in Days of Our Lives, Lizzie McGuire, and This is Us.
Marvel Rising co-stars Kamil McFadden (Patriot), Milana Vayntrub (Squirrel Girl), and Kathreen Khavari (Ms. Marvel) at the premiere of Marvel Rising: Heart of Iron at 2019 WonderCon in Anaheim, California, on March 30, 2019 (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Bridow / Brian To / Sheri Determan)
However, Vayntrub’s recurring role as Lily Adams from 2013 to 2016 made her recognizable in households across the country. Fame isn’t all it’s cracked up to be, though, and her TV personality soon brought trouble to her real-world image.
Addressing the Challenges of Online Harassment
In August 2020, Vayntrub shared an Instagram Livestream where she discussed the online sexual harassment she’d been facing since portraying Lily in the AT&T commercials.
In the video, Vayntrub appears visibly distressed by the comments she has received online and earnestly appeals to viewers to refrain from posting explicit messages on her social media accounts.
Elegance at the Emmys: Actress Milana Vayntrub arrives in style at the FOX, FX, and National Geographic Emmy Awards After Party, Los Angeles, 2017 (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Bridow / Brian To / Sheri Determan)
“I am just like, you know, walking my dog and getting messages from people who have distorted my pictures to get likes on their accounts,” Vayntrub said. “I am not consenting to any of this. I do not want any of this.”
Images of Vayntrub recently surfaced from her college days, which revealed a large amount of cleavage. Internet users took these photos and used them to make memes as well as solicit nude photos from Vayntrub.
Milana Vayntrub became famous in AT&T television commercials as saleswoman Lily Adams (Credit: YouTube)
Even during the Livestream of Vayntrub calling for the sexual harassment to end, the comments that appear on the video are shocking and insensitive, with many viewers leaving the comment “milky” on her video. “Milky” is used to call out the size of her breasts and shame her appearance.
“The photos that have come out of me that are super-cleavage-y are from a pool party I went to in college over a decade ago. So yeah, all of the ‘milkies,’ and all of these… I mean, reporting them all – honestly, it’s like there are so many more of them than I have time to report,” she said about the rude comments on Instagram Livestream.
Vayntrub’s personal social media accounts aren’t the only ones being attacked by these internet trolls. AT&T’s corporate page has also been a witness to the online sexual harassment Vayntrub faces.
In fact, AT&T had to disable the comments of the most recent video featuring Vayntrub because so many of the commenters were leaving explicit messages about her body and appearance.
Navigating Career Amidst Online Harassment
It’s easy to see the negative impact of the online sexual harassment Vayntrub experienced in the Livestream she posted in 2020.
The regular comments and inappropriate solicitations left Vayntrub rattled and uncomfortable. She felt threatened by the comments and violated by the distortions people created using her image.
A Night for a Cause: Actress Milana Vayntrub attends the 22nd Annual Elton John AIDS Foundation’s Oscar Viewing Party, Los Angeles, 2014 (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Bridow / Brian To / Sheri Determan)
Sadly, cyberbullying is a common occurrence and one that TV personalities often have to face.
In fact, according to Pew Research, 41 percent of Americans have experienced some form of online harassment, and The Harvard Business Review stated that women are twice as likely to experience online sexual harassment as men.
Online abuse like the kind Vayntrub experienced can understandably generate fear and shame. Strangers were writing to Vayntrub to tell her all of the things they’d like to do to her body without her consent.
The anonymity of the internet and the threats people so casually throw at one another can feel very real and life-threatening. Not to mention the constant body comments can lead to feelings of shame over breast size, body shape, and weight.
Milana Vayntrub flaunts her boobs at the 2015 TV LAND Awards at the Saban Theatre on April 11, 2015, in Beverly Hills, California (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Bridow / Brian To / Sheri Determan)
Cyberbullying can have a serious impact on mental and emotional health, but Vayntrub was not willing to let her internet attackers keep her down.
Ultimately, Vayntrub decided not to let the haters hold her back from pursuing an acting career. AT&T also stood by her while all of the memes and comments were circulating, too.
AT&T released a statement promoting its values, which included the respect of all women. The company followed this up by deleting inappropriate comments on their social media feeds about Vayntrub’s appearance and turning off comments altogether where necessary.
Uzbekistan-born American actress Milana Vayntrub wears a bra size 32C, and her breast size is 35 (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Bridow / Brian To / Sheri Determan)
Since the inappropriate memes first surfaced, Vayntrub has taken part in several acting gigs to further her career. The first of these roles is in the horror-comedy-thriller film Werewolves Within, where Vayntrub plays a postal worker trying to figure out what is lurking in the shadows of the town.
The second notable role she has accepted lately is that of Squirrel Girl in the new Marvel TV series New Warriors.
The internet has turned Milana Vayntrub’s bib breasts into memes, and she has spoken out against online sexual harassment (Credit: Tony Forte / WENN / Bridow / Brian To / Sheri Determan)
Cyberbullying and online sexual harassment are real threats women have to face in today’s online world. Vayntrub, however, overcame the negative memes and comments to focus on her acting career.
While many men can’t get beyond her big breasts, she’s an inspiration that shows you can’t let the negativity of others hold you back from pursuing what you want in life.