Who lives in a pineapple under the sea and just broke the internet for all the wrong reasons? Ice Spice.
The Bronx rapper is facing a tidal wave of backlash this weekend after stepping out at the New York City premiere of The SpongeBob Movie: Search for SquarePants in an outfit that left very little to the imagination. While the 25-year-old star is known for her provocative style, her decision to wear a sheer, thong-baring ensemble to a children’s movie event has sparked a fierce debate about time, place, and appropriateness.
The Outfit That Shocked the Yellow Carpet
The controversy kicked off Wednesday night at the Paramount Pictures Screening Room in New York. Ice Spice, who voices the character “Ticket Taker” in the animated film and contributed the song “Big Guy” to the soundtrack, arrived in a white lace Blumarine dress.
While the dress featured long sleeves and a ruffled hem, the fabric was entirely sheer. Underneath, she wore a matching white bra and a high-cut thong, making her “bikini bottom” the focal point of the night.
Social media reacted instantly. Photos of the rapper posing next to life-sized SpongeBob and Patrick mascots went viral, prompting critics to question why her stylist would approve such a risqué look for a PG-rated movie launch. “She knows this is a kids’ movie, right?” one user wrote on Facebook.
“She Took Bikini Bottom Literally”
The puns wrote themselves, but the mood online shifted quickly from jokes to genuine outrage. Parents on TikTok and Instagram accused the star of failing to “read the room,” noting that families and children attended the event.
“There’s a time and a place for the thong,” commented one parent on Paramount’s official Instagram post, which was flooded with so much negativity that the studio reportedly had to filter the comments. “A screening for a cartoon about a sponge, isn’t it?”
However, not everyone was offended. The rapper’s loyal fanbase, the “Munchkins,” rallied to her defense. Many argued that the premiere was a private-industry screening rather than a public mall event. They noted that the film’s marketing campaign has playfully referenced “no pants” (a nod to SpongeBob’s occasional lack thereof).
A “Big Guy” Moment
Despite the fashion fiasco, Ice Spice’s involvement in the franchise is a major career milestone. Her original track for the film, “Big Guy,” has already started trending on TikTok, and she has spoken openly about her lifelong fandom for the series, even naming a track on her 2023 debut album “Bikini Bottom.”
“I was really nervous, but this is so exciting,” she told reporters on the red carpet before the online storm hit. “I’m grateful that you guys came out to watch this.”
The film, which was released in theaters yesterday, follows SpongeBob and Patrick on a deep-sea adventure to the “deepest depths” of the ocean. Whether the box office numbers will be affected by the “thong-gate” controversy remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: Ice Spice knows how to keep people talking.
Was Ice Spice’s outfit a fashion win or a major fail for a kids’ movie premiere? Let us know in the comments!