Influencer Natalie Schlater deletes Instagram account after post comparing life to Bali rice farmer's sparks backlash

Schlater has responded to criticism over the post saying it was 'extremely misunderstood' 
Avrielle Suleiman/Unsplash
Margaret Abrams17 June 2019

An aspiring influencer went on vacation in Bali and ended up in hot water - but it wasn’t because she decided to take a dip in the hot tub.

Instead, Stockholm-based Natalie Schlater was forced to delete her Instagram after posting a controversial photo comparing her life to a local rice farmer's.

The classic Instagram thirst trap post featured Schlater staring into the distance in a tiny, white bikini.

But it was her caption which sparked controversy. Referring to the Balinese farmer picking rice in the distance, she wrote: “Thinking about how different my life is from the man picking in the rice field every morning."

Many of Schlater's 12,000 followers were unimpressed and many quickly chimed in using the comments section.

The post then naturally went viral. According to The Daily Mail, comments ranged from this “is the epitome of the social media generation” to “just sounds like a humble brag to me.”

She has since deleted her Instagram, but not before posting about the reaction.

Schlater wrote that her original message was “extremely misunderstood,” adding, “I am very aware of my privileges and how grateful I am for all that I have in my life and I was recognising how hardworking and unbelievably kind the Indonesian people are and never meant to come off disrespectful.”

She apologized, writing “I am so sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings which was never ever my intention."

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