--- title: Why Amber Rose Decided to Reclaim the Word 'Slut' description: Amber Rose has opened up about why she chose to reclaim the word "slut" rather than allow it to be used against her in a derogatory manner. canonical: https://time.com/4961144/amber-rose-slut-walk-essay/ author: Megan McCluskey article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-09-28T16:41:20.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-10-08T09:54:13.493Z og:title: Why Amber Rose Decided to Reclaim the Word 'Slut' og:description: "The term 'slut' never seemed to go away" og:url: https://time.com/4961144/amber-rose-slut-walk-essay/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca119e441f0f0d02/6988a828bc6cfc51c23dec0d/gettyimages-599939538.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 3564 og:image:height: 2005 og:image:alt: Dancing With The Stars Cast Visits Planet Hollywood og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Why Amber Rose Decided to Reclaim the Word 'Slut' twitter:description: "The term 'slut' never seemed to go away" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltca119e441f0f0d02/6988a828bc6cfc51c23dec0d/gettyimages-599939538.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Why Amber Rose Decided to Reclaim the Word 'Slut' > Sponsored content. 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Every edition is assembled by TIME editors rather than generated automatically. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-brief-2026q3/newsletters?i=6f910159-8e68-4293-b34b-3f32cc7fb8ba&cr=time-nl-brief-2026q3-v1) ## Video: Amber Rose Explains How to Make a Million Dollars [Watch (HLS stream): Amber Rose Explains How to Make a Million Dollars](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/WGkO7THJ.m3u8) (2:21)  _Published 2015-11-05. Amber Rose_  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Sep 28, 2017 4:41 PM UTC Amber Rose  by [Megan McCluskey](https://time.com/author/megan-mccluskey/)  ## Megan McCluskey Staff Writer Sep 28, 2017 4:41 PM UTC [Amber Rose](http://time.com/4399438/amber-rose-show-feminism-black-lives-matter/) has opened up about why she chose to [reclaim the word “slut”](http://time.com/4197591/amber-rose-learned-to-stop-caring-what-people-think/) rather than allow it to be used against her in a derogatory manner. In an essay for [_Marie Claire_](http://www.marieclaire.com/celebrity/a12479685/amber-rose-slut-walk-essay/)ahead of her third annual [Los Angeles SlutWalk](http://amberroseslutwalk.com) — a march that combats the stigma surrounding women and sexuality — the 33-year-old model and actor shared her personal experience with [slut-shaming](http://time.com/36997/when-enforcing-school-dress-codes-turns-into-slut-shaming/). “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been called a slut,” she wrote. “From the time I was a young girl—even before I was sexually active—it was a label that was placed on me. As soon as I came into the public eye, I was immediately criticized for everything from my behavior to how I chose to dress. It was undoubtedly hurtful, and getting used to the harsh words I hear so often is still something I struggle with.” Muva — as her fans affectionately refer to her — went on to explain why she chose to begin self-identifying with the label. “The term ‘slut’ never seemed to go away—in fact, I began to realize that I’d be called a slut whether I behaved according to other people’s standards or not,” she wrote. “So, I decided to take the power out of that word and reclaim it. I said f—k it, _hoe is_ _life_. But don’t get me wrong—this self-proclaimed hoe is a powerful woman and an unapologetic feminist.” ## Transcript Ready? [ SOUND ] I feel like I'm in a position to give advice to women because I've made all of these mistakes. I spent a lot of money on a lot of frivolous things. I made a million dollars and I spent all of it. And then after that, I had to pay taxes And I did not have money for the taxes and I was like, I can't believe I did this. And I really had to start over. So, I did pay all my taxes off and I feel amazing now, but it took a lot of work. [ MUSIC ] Being a dancer definitely was like being in business school because, I constantly spoke to people. I mean I literally had to persuade a man to give me money out of his pocket. And I apply that to my daily life, even getting a book. You have to sell yourself. I think there's a misconception with dancers, selling their body, but you're selling a fantasy. I am an Extremist, activist feminist. It's very important for me to let especially other women know that it's okay to not only embrace your sexuality but embrace the fact that we are smart. The fact that I was a stripper does not take away the fact I'm smart. That I'm witty. That I am capable of running my own business. That I am capable of having employees. I never dated a man to become famous. I dated a man cuz that's what my heart told me to do. [ APPLAUSE ] I'm a mogul. I have a bunch of businesses. I'm now a actress. I'm an author. They belittled me. Like, I'm just some baby mama. And I was married. I still am married, actually. And I do have a beautiful son. I'm so much more than a baby mama. Can see the comments from women, saying like, well, I mean, you are a baby mama, it's just like, girl, you are so lost. You are not just a baby mama. Let's help each other. And once we get to that point and embrace each other and help each other then we can be in higher positions and we can bring more women up with us. 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