There’s another human Barbie making headlines this week, but this particular story has a disturbing wrinkle: Her parents are demanding—and even financing—her doll-like looks.
Following in the footsteps of women like Valeria Lukyanova, Angelica Kenova is a 26-year-old Russian model who has gained an impressive fan base for looking like the iconic Mattel doll. And according to the Daily Mail, Kenova has been living the Barbie lifestyle since she was a child. WTF?
“Growing up, my parents raised me like a princess and never let me go out, date boys or have the usual adult experiences,” Kenova told the Daily Mail. “As a result, I am not fit for real life—I'm like a living doll.”
Though she has a 20-inch waist and wears an 32E bra, Kenova insists she has never gone under the knife to achieve her frame, and that it’s all a result of her parents’ “protective” nature. Not only do they dictate what she eats and wears, they also monitor her exercise program and have the final say in which men she dates.
Again, this woman is 26 years old.
“I did not choose this image of a doll myself, my parents did,” she said. “When I turned 6, my mum started buying me collectible Barbie dolls and enthusiastically dressing me up like one […] Given how old I am, I should be independent but my parents insist I still live with them. If I ever decided to live apart or do something against their will, it would be a scandal.”
And just when you thought the world couldn’t get any more sad.
