While he received some support for his post, many critics dismissed his comments as sexist and snobbish, noting that Ms. Cole had helped save a London bookshop and graduated from Cambridge. Advertisement Continue reading the main storyResponding to the contretemps, Ms. Cole drew parallels with the sexism the Brontë sisters faced. Ms. Cole shot to prominence in the early 2000s as one of a crop of “otherworldly” models. In his post, Mr. Holland also took a dim view of Ms. Cole’s acting, recounting her performance as Helen of Troy at Manchester’s Royal Exchange Theater. Attempts to reach the Brontë Society were unsuccessful on Friday.

Source: New York Times January 05, 2018 18:00 UTC