Elizabeth Hurley has been a consistent presence on social media lately, mainly offering up lovely photos of her enjoying some beachy locale while lounging in a bikini.
Her latest swimsuit reveal also had her holding up two starfish and sporting a big smile, but the British model, actress, and swimsuit designer is now swimming in a sea of backlash from some fans because of the photo.
While most marveled at the 56-year old’s physique or swimwear, many argued that haphazardly handling starfish could be a risky proposition.
"They are beautiful,” commented one viewer, “too bad they died after you took that photo. People must know that starfish die when you take them out of the water!"
"They are extremely delicate and most likely won’t survive once you take them out of the sea and manipulate them…" one commenter added.
Another claimed, "You just killed those stars by taking them out of the water.”
Hurley captioned the photo, “Found these magnificent starfish, alive but stranded, on the beach – they’re now happily back at the bottom of the sea.”
As Fox News reported, a spokesperson for Hurley quickly addressed the matter. "She found the starfish stranded on the beach,” said the spokesperson, “probably washed up in the tide, she doesn’t know for sure. She picked them up, waded into the sea, and placed them back in the water."
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According to marine biologist Professor Morgan Pratchett from James Cook University, the starfish appear to be the Red Cushion Sea Star (Oreaster reticulatus), and probably weren't in too much peril.
"It is not uncommon for them to be washed up on the beach," he told Australian outlet news.com.au. "It’s unlikely that they would die from being out of the water for a few minutes, but it does depend on how long the starfish were out of the water [or] stranded on the beach."
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Many fans defended Hurley's rescue attempt in the comments.
"Oreaster reticulatus can routinely be washed up on the beach with little harm," one wrote commenter. "They are quite robust. But please, keep the rage going!"
"Comprehend much?” one fan asked. “She found them stranded on the beach and put them back into the water. It’s literally in the post.”
And one suggested an oft-repeated internet request: "Read her comment again.”
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