Farrah Abraham Wears Traditional Indian Garb To MTV Movie Awards

Former Teen Mom star Farrah Abraham wore an Bollywood-inspired outfit to the 2017 MTV Movie Awards show on Sunday night. Some felt her outfit was a textbook example of cultural appropriation and a showing of a lack of respect for Indian culture and Hinduism. The star does not have any Indian heritage.

Abraham wore a pink and gold three piece outfit that she thinks “will inspire others to embrace new cultures and have good experiences,” the reality star told TooFab. She also wore a henna tattoo on her hand and a bindi on her forehead – both the tattoo and the bindi hold special religious significance in Hinduism.

Abraham posted several photos from the show to Instagram. One photo was caption with a “best dressed” hashtag. She also tagged MTV India in the photo.

This wasn’t the first time a star wore a bindi on the red carpet of the MTV Movie Awards. Back in 2013, Selena Gomez wore a bindi and was immediately asked by the Universal Society of Hinduism to issue a public apology.

“It is an auspicious religious and spiritual symbol. It is not meant to be thrown around loosely for seductive effects or as a fashion accessory aiming at mercantile greed,” the society told E! News in 2013.

Abraham said she is not worried “at all” about the backlash she will, and already has, received for the outfit.