Sailor Brinkley defends decision to wear N95 mask in public amid shortage during coronavirus pandemic
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Sailor Brinkley is shutting down social media criticism that the model said she received after wearing a protective mask in public amid the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The 21-year-old was out and about in Brooklyn on Wednesday with her boyfriend Ben Sosne when the pair was photographed donning the highly coveted N95 personal protective facemask that many health care professionals have gone without during the COVID-19 outbreak, as confirmed cases pile up and hospitals continue to operate at full capacity.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brinkley and Sosne were reportedly out picking up groceries when they were spotted with their masks on and afterward, the daughter of Christie Brinkley and Peter Cook put the angry backlash to bed once and for all.
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“To everyone reaching out (very angrily) about me having a mask. My mom is an artist and does projects that require her to wear a mask so she had a stash of them in her art studio,” she explained on her Instagram Story, according to People magazine. “We didn’t buy them upon hearing about the spread of COVID-19. She kept one mask for each one of our family members and then donated the rest to local hospitals.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brinkley said her mother is continuously working to “find supplies and keep hospital workers safe as well,” adding that the legendary model is also donating 30 percent of her brand’s proceeds to the Direct Relief Foundation, an organization at the frontlines of providing hospitals with masks and other personal protective equipment.
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Brinkley maintained that she and her boyfriend each have just “one mask,” adding that in addition to being grateful to have one, they’re also “donating daily to organizations helping to create masks.”
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“When we go to the grocery store or out on a walk we wear them so that god forbid if we might have [COVID-19] and don’t know we don’t spread it to someone less able to fight it off,” she said. “Please stop sending me hateful messages, and stay safe❤️.”
Model Sailor Brinkley and professional dancer Val Chmerkovskiy compete on 'Dancing with the Stars.' (Getty)
On Monday, Christie Brinkley revealed in an interview with “Extra” that Sailor had been responsible for the fact that she had been traveling extensively prior to the outbreak and was keeping her distance from the family for everyone’s safety.
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{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}“My son is with me. My daughters are -- don't even get me started, I'm missing them so much. And I'm so worried about them. They're both in the city,” the supermodel told the program via FaceTime.
“But Sailor was touring with ‘Dancing with the Stars,’” Brinkley explained. “And she was meeting with crowds of people every night, hugging everybody so she said, 'Mom, there is no way I'm coming home until I'm 100 percent sure I haven't contracted anything.’"
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brinkley later added of Sailor and her other daughter, musician Alexa Ray Joel: “Of course, I want my babies here.”