Emily Ratajkowski is doing it again: shedding preconceived labels and redefining what her life should look like. In her latest Elle UK cover story (July/August 2025 edition), she dug into her social circle, her work, and her journey into her mid-thirties.
When talking about the company she keeps, Emily dropped a bold truth: “I still like men. I just have zero straight men in my life, unless they’re a romantic interest. In the hierarchy of needs, that’s at the top of the pyramid, which is nice. [Men are] pleasure and fun, but not a part of my core. The rest of my life is community with other women and queer people, and being a mom.”
Boiling it down: men are romantic flavor, not daily fuel. Instead, Emily surrounds herself with women, queer friends and family support—and her son.
Ratajkowski told Elle how she’s embracing thirties living with a whole new mindset: “I’m fascinated with this decade of my life. My mom had me at 39, and I remember she always romanticized her thirties as a time of self-exploration and power as a woman. I’m in the midst of it and really feel that way too.”
She’s clearly inspired by her own mother’s narrative—and wants to lean into that same sense of empowerment.
She also talked motherhood and fashion—sharing that rocking her own style is her subtle rebellion as a mom. “I think that [fashion] is actually one of the ways I really enjoy being subversive with motherhood. There’s so much around what a mom should look like. I know what kind of mom I am, and I only deeply care about my son’s reaction to that. Anybody else who has opinions about me as a mother because of the way I dress – it’s just so inconsequential.”
It’s her way of sending a message: it’s her life and style—and her son’s perception is what matters.
As for her outlook on growing up and life ahead, she added: “You can’t control everything, but you can move towards something to give yourself the life you want, which really excites me, because when I think about 34 to 44, I’m like, ‘Oh man, there’s so much opportunity.’ I can be so much more intentional than I was in my twenties and there won’t be, like, accidents.”
Clear direction, boundless possibility. That kind of mindset shift isn’t just inspiring—it’s evidence of a woman owning her adulthood.
On the job front, she’s currently making a splash in Lena Dunham’s Netflix series, Too Much. Emily told Elle that having creative control on set is a total game-changer: “I really value control. In my twenties, I didn’t have a lot of it in my career. Now, I like making things and I like not being an addition to them. With Lena, I got to shape the character so much, which was really fun. It gave me a bigger role than just an actor for hire.”
She also praised Lena’s collaborative directing style: “Lena leans into some of the more ‘feminine’ ways of directing – over communication, consideration of everyone on set. Instead of being this domineering presence, her power lies in grace and in the ability to make everyone feel comfortable.”
Emily Ratajkowski is walking into her thirties with purpose, leaning into joy, community, and creativity. She’s redefining motherhood, style, and success—again.
