Volleyball star Gabrielle Reece has caused quite a stir with feminists for revealing how being ‘submissive’ to her husband, pro surfer Laird Hamilton, has kept their marriage happy.
In her new book “My Foot Is Too Big for the Glass Slipper” Reece says, “To be truly feminine means being soft, receptive, and – look out, here it comes – submissive.”
She defended her words on “Chelsea Lately” Wednesday when she told Chelsea, “What I said was that I was choosing to take on this service or submissive role [in my marriage]. The feminists got up in arms because they took it out of context.”
Reece’s approach to her marriage today stems from when the couple hit a roadblock in their relationship after being married for four years and filed for divorce.
“We’ve been together over 17 years now,” she explained, “and I think that if you talk to most long term couples you’re going to have moments where you go ‘I don’t think this is going to work out.'”
They eventually did work things out and opted to remain in the marriage.
“I think it’s a blessing for us that we’ve gone through a bunch of different things in our relationship, which has allowed us to arrive here today,” Hamilton, 49, told NBC’s Kate Snow. “We’ve been brought here through what we’ve endured in our relationship. And at the end that’s only made us stronger.”
The 43-year-old pro athlete and mother of three daughters further explained the points she makes in her book to Natalie Morales on “Today” April 12.
“I think the idea of living with a partner is ‘How can I make their life better,'” she said when asked if women need to serve or please their men better. “If I’m the woman and he’s the man then yes that’s the dynamic I’m willing and I choose to serve my family and my husband.”
Reece explained the back-and-forth of being a submissive woman and the reciprocity it creates.
“[Being submissive] creates a dynamic where he is then in fact acting more like a man and masculine and treating me the way I want to be treated,” she added. “I like to be cherished and I’d like someone to look after me as well in that role.”
But make no mistake, Reece is a secure woman, wife and mother who is strong in her role at home.
“I think because women have the ability to set the tone that the ultimate strength and showing real power, I believe, is creating that environment,” she explained. “I don’t think it’s a sign of weakness I think it’s a sign of strength.”
As for the critics Reece told Handler, “It’s actually worked out well for the book to make some people aggravated.”
