America Ferrera says not showering is her guilty pleasure - Los Angeles Times
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America Ferrera says ‘not showering for days’ is her guilty pleasure

America Ferrera wears a white suit and black top while standing in front of a red and yellow background
America Ferrera just shared a deep secret with her “Barbie†co-stars.
(Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)
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America Ferrera has revived the celebrity bathing debate.

The “Barbie†actress recently sat down with her co-stars Margot Robbie, Issa Rae and Kate McKinnon and director Greta Gerwig to share some personal trivia — and one of her chief admissions was that “not showering for days†is a “guilty pleasure†for her.

In the video, produced by Vanity Fair, America Ferrera reads the prompt “What’s my guilty pleasure?,†before her co-stars and director share their guesses.

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“I bet a massage,†Gerwig says.

The much-memed, long-awaited feature from director Greta Gerwig is a delightful comic fantasy that promotes and deconstructs its own Mattel doll brand.

“Self-care,†Robbie chimes in.

“Or looking on Redfin and fantasizing about other lives,†McKinnon says.

“No, I don’t feel guilty about any of those things,†Ferrera replies.

The “Ugly Betty†and “Superstore†actress then says, “I’m really going to regret saying this,†before sharing, “My guilty pleasure would be not showering for a few days.â€

Margot Robbie instantly bursts out with “What?!,†adding, “I would never have expected that.â€

What’s up with celebs skipping soap and shying away from bathing on a regular basis? Ask Jake Gyllenhaal, the latest actor to discuss his bathing habits.

While Ferrera is just sharing her guilty pleasure now, the topic of celebrities who don’t opt for regular showers or bathing was a trending one in 2021. Two summers ago, Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis kicked off the celebrity hygiene debate when the pair went on Dax Shepard and Monica Padman’s “Armchair Expert†podcast and they all shared how often they wash their children and themselves.

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Shepard suggested that you “should not be getting rid of the natural oil on your skin with a bar of soap every day,†before Kunis shared, “I didn’t have hot water growing up as a child, so I didn’t shower much anyway.â€

“But when I had children, I also didn’t wash them every day,†Kunis added. “I wasn’t the parent that bathed my newborns — ever.â€

Ashton replied, “Now here’s the thing: If you can see the dirt on them, clean them. Otherwise, there’s no point.â€

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As the human heart in a comedy filled with neurotic dolls, the ‘Ugly Betty’ award-winner is ready to take a bolder step toward the big screen with ‘Barbie.’

After the podcast, Kristen Bell, who is married to Shepard — the couple shares two daughters, Lincoln and Delta — went on “The View†and shared, “I’m a big fan of waiting for the stink. Once you catch a whiff, that’s biology’s way of letting you know you need to clean it up.â€

That same week an interview with Jake Gyllenhaal in Vanity Fair dropped where the actor said, “good manners and bad breath get you nowhere. So I do that. But I do also think that there’s a whole world of not bathing that is also really helpful for skin maintenance, and we naturally clean ourselves.â€

The viral social media phenomenon, inspired by the same-day release of ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer,’ is the best advertising campaign for moviegoing that no studio could’ve come up with.

These admissions also led to a handful of celebrities eagerly sharing with the world that they are a fan of regular showers. That included Jason Momoa, who told “Access Hollywood†in August 2021, “I’m not starting any trends. I shower. Trust me, I shower. I’m Aquaman. I’m in the f— water, don’t worry about it.â€

Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson also spoke up about his bathing hygiene, tweeting in August 2021, “I’m the opposite of a “not washing themselves†celeb. Shower (cold) when I roll outta bed to get my day rollin’. Shower (warm) after my workout before work. Shower (hot) after I get home from work. Face wash, body wash, exfoliate and I sing (off key) in the shower.â€

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