Lewis Hamilton under fire for telling nephew ‘boys don’t wear princess dresses’

‘I’m so sad right now. Look at my nephew.’

(Getty Images)

Lewis Hamilton has sparked outrage after sharing a video in which he tells his young nephew: “Boys don’t wear princess dresses.”

In the video, the Formula One driver can be seen disapprovingly commenting on his nephew’s choice of attire.

Hamilton begins the video by facing the camera and expressing his disappointment.

“I’m so sad right now. Look at my nephew,” he says.

He then turns the camera on the young boy, who is very happily wearing a princess dress and waving a toy wand.

Hamilton asks: “Why are you wearing a princess dress? Is this what you got for Christmas?”

His nephew responds very enthusiastically, evidently enjoying wearing the pink and purple dress.

The boy seems to be none the wiser that he is being lambasted by his uncle.

Hamilton ends the video by loudly exclaiming: “Boys don’t wear princess dresses!”

The video has subsequently received a lot of criticism after being posted on Twitter by Hamilton’s followers.

Many people feel angered that Hamilton is teaching his nephew that it’s wrong for boys to wear dresses if they want to, thus enforcing negative gender stereotypes.

A number of people have also noted how happy his nephew looks and have been questioning why Hamilton felt the need to impose his view.

One person on Twitter wrote that Hamilton should feel ashamed of his actions, while another described him as: “That narrow minded uncle at Christmas who has one too many drinks and thinks his opinion is valid at the family get together.”

Twitter user @JustNabz, who shared the video, commented: “The kid looks genuinely happy!

“Just let him enjoy his little life without having social norms imposed on him.”

The way in which a child perceives gender norms can affect them for the duration of their life.

A recent study published in the Journal of Adolescent Health stated that: “Most societies are profoundly gendered; these gender roles and expectations affect nearly every aspect of life from infancy onward.”

The Independent has reached out to Lewis Hamilton for comment.