YouTube skater Gifted Hater shared a video highlighting a 2008 profile of Sky Ferreira written by Robert Brink for Missbehave. You can watch the video below.
Brink has since reflected on the piece and admitted that he cringes reading it today, calling it an article that would not run under current standards.
The original article, titled Hurricane Lolita, came from Brink's work as a staff writer for Missbehave, a magazine operated by women and owned by Mass Appeal.
At the time, Sky Ferreira was just 16 years old and beginning to make a name for herself as a singer and model.
Brink was assigned to meet her in Los Angeles for an interview before a photoshoot nearby.
He recalled that when he arrived at the café, there was no agent, manager, or parent with her.
He described the situation as unusual and admitted that he felt uncomfortable being there alone with someone so young.
The interview and photoshoot went smoothly, and he left before any outfit changes occurred. Brink said that nothing during the time he spent with Ferreira was unprofessional.
In his original article, Brink used a reference to Roman Polanski and the phrase "To Catch a Predator" as part of the introduction.
In hindsight, he acknowledges that the framing was inappropriate and that the story would not be published today.
He explained that the editors likely took the title from broader cultural references, not because of any misconduct.
Looking back, Brink said on his blog that reading the piece now makes him cringe. He stated that his intention was never to misrepresent or exploit Ferreira but that the writing reflected a perspective and style that are no longer acceptable.
The Gifted Hater video shared online has all the skaters talking, but Brink’s reflection shows that the main focus is on revisiting past writing and acknowledging how industry standards have changed over time.
This gives a look at Sky Ferreira back when she was just getting started and how magazines used to handle stuff back then.
Brink admits the article made him cringe, which shows he sees how the game has changed since.
ShreddER Team Editorial Note on Reporting
This article reports on a historical magazine profile written by Robert Brink in 2008. The profile included references to sexualized situations involving a minor at the time. No misconduct occurred during the reporting or photoshoot, and nothing in this article suggests wrongdoing by Brink. Readers should treat the content as a look back at past media coverage and consider it in the proper historical context.