If you’ve been chronically online over the past weekend, you may have noticed that two prominent Australian women have been feuding online, with Abbie Chatfield hitting back at Clementine Ford after finding out the “dehumanising” things the Aussie author and activist had been saying about her.
Calling out Clementine for calling her a “narcissist” amongst other things, Abbie eventually broke down in tears over some of Clementine’s claims. “It’s all so hurtful and I don’t know where it’s come from,” Abbie said in a series of Instagram Stories.
Who is Clementine Ford?
Clementine Ford is an Australian feminist writer and activist known for her views on gender equality, misogyny, and social justice. She’s the author of four books: Fight Like A Girl, Boys Will Be Boys, I Don’t: The Case Against Marriage, and How We Love: Notes on a Life.
Clementine rose to fame with her role as a columnist for The Age and Sydney Morning Herald, as she tackled issues like misogyny, mental health, online harassment, consent and rape culture, and gender inequality in a direct and unapologetic tone.
As well as her work as a columnist and author, Clementine has given Tedx Talks, appeared on panels and shows like ABC’s Q&A, and hosted her own podcasts Dear Clementine and Untethered. She often uses her social media platforms to call out influential figures, target misogyny and harassment, and bring awareness to social issues.
In recent years, she has used her platform to highly the humanitarian crisis in Gaza and criticise political parties and the media for their complicity and bias.
What exactly is going on between Clementine Ford and Abbie Chatfield?
Clementine recently publicly criticised Abbie, accusing her of performative activism. In one of her Substack newsletters titled ‘The Deep Dive: Trad Wives, liberal white women and the appeal of fascism to both’, Clementine mentioned Abbie, saying:
“This is why we have Australian influencers like Abbie Chatfield profiting from the performance of being politically engaged and presenting herself as a voice of feminist and political authority, while railing against anyone who demands more from her than shallow aphorisms and platforming genocide supporters. Everyone who criticises her is an idiot. They clearly don’t understand how things work. They have no strategy. They’re being mean to her. They’re jealous of her podcast and her university degree. She’s hotter than them. Everyone who disagrees with her is a troll.”
Abbie has since said she’s had people send her various things Clementine’s said about her, claiming that Clementine has attacked Abbie’s character numerous times in Instagram comments and threads, as well as her Substack.
Abbie said Clementine can criticise her work anytime she wants, but begged the outspoken feminist to stop “lying” about her character. “You can criticise my content, but I am begging you to stop lying about my intentions and stop saying I have a personality disorder, this is so fucking triggering, I just want it to stop,” Abbie cried.
@abbiechatfield Part 2
♬ original sound – Abbie Chatfield
The two weren’t always on bad terms, with Abbie interviewing Clementine back in 2020 for her podcast It’s A Lot.
“Abbie gets to interview someone she greatly admires and fan girls along the way, Clementine Ford,” the podcast description reads. “Abbie and Clementine answer some questions about having sex while being insecure (for various reasons) and then do a deep dive into the male gaze.”
Clementine is yet to publicly address Abbie’s latest Instagram Stories.
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