Brooks Nader broke her silence over a series of controversial photos taken during her family getaway to Sardinia, Italy, earlier in August, after the internet descended into an uproar.
The model was seen soaking up the sun on a boat off the coast of Sardinia alongside her sister, Sarah Jane, her mother, Holland, and her father, Breaux. In several snaps taken by the paparazzi, Brooks went topless around her family, and wore nothing but lacy white bikini bottoms during the outing.
© InstagramThe photos sparked a frenzy as people debated over whether it was normal to forgo a shirt around family members, with one writing on Instagram: "Americans in comments SHOOK that women have parts of their body they don't need to hide or feel shame about having," while another added: "She's in Europe, relax."
Another chimed in: "Everybody claiming this is normal because they're in Europe...they're from Louisiana. This is WEIRD," while a fourth said: "This is not normal AT ALL."
© GC ImagesBrooks hit back at naysayers on Tuesday when she reshared an Instagram story with a headline that read: "Brooks Nader jumps into the ocean fully dressed and in heels".
"Are we happy now?" she quipped in the caption, referring to the internet's outrage over her topless moment. In the photos, the 29-year-old was pictured jumping in the ocean, clad in a black Gucci dress with an open back paired with black heels and large black sunglasses.
Brooks' conservative upbringing
Despite being comfortable in her body, Brooks grew up in a household that was "extremely Christian and extremely conservative", as she told Maxim.
"I always wanted to express myself, and I wanted to look sexy. I fantasized about living in LA or New York, but it seemed worlds away. I also had to toe the line because of where I'm from," she shared.
The star added that her family was incredibly close now as they didn't have much money and "really just had each other".
The Baywatch actress told The Hollywood Reporter that she and her three sisters were "still navigating the modeling industry" after growing up in a conservative household. "We grew up [in] very humble beginnings, extremely, extremely religious, almost culty, if you will, and we are navigating living in New York, chasing our dreams."
© Getty Images for Empire State ReA close bond
Brooks is also close with her father, and shared a sweet story with the publication about how he comforted her after she discovered that her then-boyfriend, Dancing with the Stars alum Gleb Savchenko, had allegedly cheated on her.
Breaux had come to visit Brooks after the breakup and wanted to make her his traditional "Papa eggs" when she woke up, despite the rest of the family leaving for brunch.
© Instagram"[My family] go, 'Dad, come to brunch.' And he goes, 'No, what if she wakes up and I'm not here and she's all alone?' As it turns out, that's exactly what happened," she recounted.
"I did wake up, actually; everyone was gone, and my dad is in the kitchen, and he had made the Papa eggs, and goes, 'Here's your breakfast.' I have a photo of him with the plate, and I cried."
