Kristen Stewart responds to 'sexist' and 'homophobic' criticism of “Rolling Stone” cover: 'F--- you'

The actress triggered a few folks when she posed with her hand down her jockstrap for the magazine.

Kristen Stewart's response to criticism of her recent Rolling Stone cover? "F--- you."

The star, 33, turned heads when she posed with her hand inside her jockstrap for the magazine's February cover story in promotion of her new queer romance thriller Love Lies Bleeding. Catching up with Stephen Colbert on Monday's episode of The Late Show, Stewart addressed the negative responses — but not before Colbert let the audience in on a network directive.

“Now before I show this cover, I just want you to know and the audience to know that I think it’s a perfectly lovely cover," Colbert said. "We were asked by CBS not to show it. They thought that would not be a good idea for us to show this and I don't understand why.” Amidst audience cheers after the cover reveal, Colbert quipped, “I want to say that you look better in a jockstrap than I ever did."

Why does Stewart think people got so upset about it? "Well, OK. Let’s keep this light. . . it’s a little ironic because I feel like I’ve seen a lot of male pubic hair on the cover of things," she said. “I’ve seen, like, a lot of hands in pants and unbuttoned. I think there’s a certain overt acknowledgement of a female sexuality that has its own volition in a way that is annoying for people who are sexist and homophobic."

“I’ve certainly seen more revealing covers on Rolling Stone or Sports Illustrated for that matter," Colbert noted.

"It’s not remotely explicit, yeah,” Stewart said.

Colbert added, "I think it also violates public expectations of female sexuality as opposed to how you’re presenting it here."

“Yes, because female sexuality isn’t supposed to actually want anything but to be had," Stewart replied. "And that feels like it’s protruding in a way that might be annoying.  But f--- you." She cheekily added, "But I never will!"

<p>Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic</p> Kristen Stewart

Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic

Kristen Stewart

Stewart publicly came out as queer in 2017, during her Saturday Night Live monologue that referenced former President Donald Trump's excessive tweets (11, to be exact) about her split from Twilight costar Robert Pattinson and the headlines about her affair with director Rupert Sanders. "The president is not a huge fan of me," she said onstage. "But that is so OK. And Donald, if you didn't like me then, you're probably not going to like me now, because I'm hosting SNL and I'm so gay, dude."

The actress stars as a reclusive gym manager who falls for Katy O'Brian's ambitious bodybuilder in Rose Glass' Love Lies Bleeding, in theaters now. Stewart also recently premiered her sci-fi romance Love Me, in which she stars opposite Steven Yeun, at the Sundance Film Festival.

Watch her interview with Colbert above.

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