Mark Wahlberg Donates $1.5 Million to the TIME’S UP Movement in Michelle Williams’ Name

What is the 4B Movement?

According to The Washington Post, this is a "radical Korean feminist movement that swears off men to reclaim a sense of agency." It sounds similar to abstinence, but the trickle down effects are vastly different. Abstinence is taking a step back from anything that usually taps into your pleasure center — and that doesn't always mean sex. However, the 4B Movement is specifically rooted in 'de-centering men' completely.

CBSstates that researchers Jieun Lee and Euisol Jeong wrote a paper for Yonsei University about the movement, and deciphered that the "B" has four meanings:

1. biyeonae — "refusal of dating men"
2. bisekseu — "sexual relationships with men"
3. bihon — "heterosexual marriage"
4. bichulsan — "childbirth"

How did the 4B movement start?

In 2016, Hankyoreh reported that a man in his 30's chose to stab an unknown young woman in Seoul, Korea. When asked why he committed the crime, he gave this answer: "I did it because women have always ignored me." In response to the random attack, Hong Seong-su, a law professor at Sookmyung Women’s University, share a chilling message that the outlet recounted in the article. "The fact that [Kim] chose ‘some woman’ [as opposed to ‘some person’] as the target for his crime suggests it is not going too far to view this as a crime of hate against women."

This radical moment was an inception point for the movement overall, started in opposition to this gender-based violence, as well as gender-based discrimination as a whole. The Korean Herald noted that factors like pay inequality and a Donald Trump-like president of their own (Yoon Suk-yeol) were driving forces in 4B. Since his election in 2022, Yoon Suk-yeol has "promised to abolish the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family, which has been popular with his anti-feminist base," (via Korean Herald). Between all this and the global sensation of #MeToo, the 4B Movement gained major momentum throughout the last eight years.

The 4B Movement's Lasting Impact In South Korea

According to The Korean Herald, over 150 elementary schools aren't seeing first-graders walk through their doors and it has everything to do with the falling birth rate in South Korea. CNN reports that officials are so concerned, they're willing to do something to combat it. President Yoon Suk Yeol said, "We will mobilize all of the nation’s capabilities to overcome the low birth rate, which can be considered a national emergency."

But, this isn't the first time the birth rate has been addressed. Another CNN article reported that South Korea dished out $200 billion to "boost the population over the past 16 years." Still, things haven't worked in the government's favor. It's evident less women are having children and it seems to directly stem from women upholding the ideology they're not allowing their bodies to be used for motherhood anymore.

American Women's Response To The 4B Movement

After the shocking results of the 2024 presidential election, many women began to rethink how they relate to the men in their lives, finding South Korea's 4B Movement in the process. Based on the current rhetoric about women who don't have children and the restrictive anti-abortion laws with hardly any policies in place to reduce the maternal mortality rate, it's understandable why some women are fearful or fed up — and why many women are now finding parallels to what sparked 4B in the first place.

When you see people like Nicholas J. Fuentes tweeting things like "Your body, my choice. Forever," on the same day Trump won a second term as president, it can leave a sickening taste in one's mouth. One user's response to this was, "Funny how the loudest champions of 'freedom' are often the first to undermine it for everyone else."

Alongside this are men's social movements that are clearly intertwined with the current political climate, too. While obviously not all men believe in these ideologies, there's been a stark rise in their prevalence.

In 2020, ADL reported about the mindset of "Incels" and discovered that they feel emboldened by the 'manosphere.' So, what do they tend to believe? According to outlet, there's a belief "that the current sexual 'marketplace' gives women too much freedom to choose their own partners." Not only that, but the outlet says Incels tend to think women choose to ignore men unless they look a certain way or have a certain status, "leaving the remaining 80 percent of men (including incels) without a potential partner."

Nicole Prause, a UCLA Statistician and Academic, is well-versed in abstinence movements, and what they ultimately indicate based on statistics. "There are a number of similar men's movements already, especially Men Going Their Own Way (MGTOW)," she says. According to her, MGTOW don't pursue marriage or relationships with women, but "seek sex when it is on their 'terms.'" She says, "They're often viewing it as a battle pitting sexes against one another. These movements tend to be separatist, often evolving into misogyny and violent speech, such as glorifying sexual coercion and rape."

As a result of these growing men's movements and the incoming 47th President of the United States — a convicted felon with multiple allegations of sexual assault — there have been growing calls from women on social media to consider the 4B Movement for themselves. X user @jungsooyawning wrote, "american women it's time to learn from the koreans and adopt the 4b movement as a matter of fact women from all over the world should adopt the 4b movement i'm so serious," on the platform.

Freelance writer Daria Yasmiene also wrote about about why she's taking part in the movement for POPSUGAR. She said, "As a Black woman who has lived through three back-to-back elections with Trump as a focal point, I'm so far beyond tired that I need a lifestyle change." Ultimately, she wants to continue having the freedom to choose to live her life in a way that's not solely governed by men.

"With the little autonomy that I have left, I would rather be alone and safe from the consequences of male influence in my life than lie next to someone who doesn't see me as an equal. We deserve so much more than that."

Meanwhile, Sex and Relationships Coach, Leah Carey says that 4B "makes sense as a response to realizing that a majority of men valued the economy over a woman's right to self-determination." Depending on where you stand, she also says that it can be "seen as 'punishment' for men" or "as a choice of self-determination and self-protection for women." Somatic Trauma Therapist, Blessing Uchendu shares Carey's sentiments in that the movement is "a response to patriarchy and the centering of men and conversely the objectification of women, with the expectation that they fulfill roles as wives and mothers."

Potential Benefits Of The 4B Movement

So with all that in mind, is a movement like 4B beneficial? And is it even sustainable? I'm not going to tell you that you should or shouldn't join the 4B Movement because it's a personal decision. It's always wise to examine where you are in life instead of relying on social media, news outlets, or even the government to determine what you're going to believe. Still, there may be some benefits to the 4B Movement that outweigh any potential fallouts.

Carey says that "not being refused care for reproductive matters" is a potential benefit of 4B, while also highlighting that "the mental health benefits can also be huge for people who deal with anxiety, depression, or anything else that might cause emotional hardship in the current climate."

This could also lead to women identifying and honoring their true desires instead of following society's scripts about who they should be. Somatic Trauma Therapist, Blessing Uchendu believes that 4B is about women de-centering men and re-centering themselves — about "being the 'stars of their own stories,' rather than supporting characters in a malde-dominated narrative." Uchendu says. "It can be incredibly empowering to step away from systems that have felt compulsory in order to reflect on whether you are making decisions centered on yourself and your desires or whether these decisions are centered on the expectations of the society around you."

The most important thing Carey wants to note is that women aren't unable to find love and joy ever again by participating in the 4B movement. "Just because a woman chooses not to date, have sex, get married, or have kids with a man doesn't mean she can't do those things: with other women. it's more and more common for adult women to explore their same-sex attractions after divorce or widowhood," she notes. "With a generation of young women growing up with the understanding that heterosexuality is not the only option, we may see a wave of younger women also exploring in this arena (in addition to all the younger women who already know themselves to be queer)."

I would also say that you can always go back to dating and engaging with men whenever you want — this movement doesn't have to be a permanent choice if you don't want it to be. The whole point is to take charge and embrace your own sense of agency.

Yet, Prause does pause to mention the downside to "separatist movements." She explains that without support from men, women could struggle financially given pay disparities and other gender-based work inequities. Still, she says this doesn't really affect much if women have been figuring things out for themselves with little help from men.

Ultimately Uchendu says women having the freedom to exist without the weight of society's patriarchal standards on their shoulders is the "ultimate freedom." She says, "In the words of Audre Lorde 'If I did not define myself for myself, I would be crunched into other people's fantasies for me and be eaten alive."

No woman should have to live in fear of having violence committed against her, but history continues repeating itself in terms of how society treats our bodies. "When a woman's right to make choices about her own body and health care are removed, she may decide to not put herself in a position where pregnancy can become an option," Carey says.

Prause chimes in with, "On average, women are more likely to experience mental health declines with marriage to a man (the opposite is true for men). While men also can experience domestic violence and sexual assault, the risks are exceptionally higher for women." Not only that, but she also points out that "women risk unwanted pregnancy, from which they now have fewer healthcare rights to address" and "are at much higher risk for sexually transmitted infections, even from their regular romantic partner."

As if that weren't a slap in the fact, Prause mentions that "childcare continues to fall disproportionately on women and does cause less income for women over time."

Danielle Staub and Margaret Josephs (RHONJ)

The two started off as friends during Season 8 of RHONJ (Margaret was even a bridesmaid in Danielle's wedding to Marty Caffrey!), but their friendship fell apart as the years passed. Things came to a head in Season 10 when Danielle pulled Margaret's hair, attempted to drag her to the ground, poured water on her head and dumped the contents of Margaret's purse into a $600 lit candle. It's safe to say things haven't improved much since then.

Brandi Glanville, Kyle Richards and Kim Richards (RHOBH)

RHOBH game nights never end well, that's for sure. After calling Kyle a "b*tch" and implying that Kim was "wasted" (Kim has a history of struggling with her sobriety), Brandi found herself in the middle of the Richards sisters' wrath. Kyle eventually retaliated with dozens of petty comments, one of which mentioned Brandi's son, who during a party peed on the lawn. Obviously, Brandi wasn't happy that her child was a topic of conversation. Their retaliatory comments devolved into a slew of now-famous insults, with Kim referring to Brandi as "trailer park trash," Brandi responding with "at least I don't do crystal meth in the bathroom, and Kim calling Brandi "a sl*t pig." How lovely!

The women are actually friendly today, with Brandi telling Andy Cohen on Watch What Happens Live that she "loves Kim, Kyle and Kathy."

Margaret Josephs and Jennifer Aydin (RHONJ)

As fans can recall, Jennifer has never been Margaret's biggest fan. Things really kicked into high gear when Margaret revealed Jennifer's husband's (Bill Aydin) affair while she was nine months pregnant with her youngest son. No one outside of the couple knew about his indiscretion, leading to a domino effect that tore through Jennifer's family. Though they have (kind of) made up since the explosive news, it doesn't seem like a strong friendship is meant to be.

Kim Zolciak and NeNe Leakes (RHOA)

Ahhhh, cockroach-gate. How could we ever forget?! The incident started in 2017 after Kim's daughter Brielle alleged she found cockroaches in NeNe’s home. NeNe quickly slammed the 20-year-old Brielle over claims of “prejudice” after the mother-daughter visit, resurfacing an old video filmed by Brielle in NeNe’s bathroom, documenting what appeared to be large, black insects.

“@briellebiermann We don’t have roaches! If you found 1, u brought it with u or it fell outta yo funky p*ssy!” NeNe wrote on Instagram in a now-deleted post. “Go somewhere and let the air outta those fake lips, fake titties and fake a** because you will never be [@kyliejenner]. Yo trashy mama should have taught you better! My home is Brand New but you guys were so jealous of it, you couldn’t even give a compliment. You had to stoop so low and be so disgusting #racisttrash.”

That wasn't all, though. In the comments section of a separate Instagram account, NeNe called Kim a “calculating [bipolar] racist with a horrible mouth, who uses black folks for her come up.”

Kim quickly jumped to her daughter’s defense via Instagram and lawyered up. The two women are not friendly today.

Jen Shah and Meredith Marks (RHOSLC)

This is one feud that was not settled quietly. During an ice fishing excursion, Meredith gave it to the now-convicted felon straight, saying, “there are homophobic tweets regarding my son’s sexuality that you have ‘liked.’ It is really painful,” she began. “I was told about a Zoom that you hosted where you were questioning him coming out and his sexuality.” Meredith was rightfully infuriated over Jen's passive "attacks" on her 21-year-old son, Brooks. After several episodes of icy tension, Jen apologized to Brooks, and their friendship began to mend.

Larsa Pippen and Dr. Nicole Martin (RHOM)

Larsa clearly hasn't learned her lesson. When she stoops low, Nicole always goes higher. For whatever reason, Larsa decided to make Nicole her metaphorical "punching bag" throughout the most recent seasons, going as far as to call Nicole's young son a "bastard child" and say that Nicole doesn't have a job. To clarify, DOCTOR Nicole certainly has a job — a high ranking one. Nicole is a self-made anesthesiologist, a far cry from Larsa's income as a NBA divorcee and OnlyFans model (no shame in that, BTW). Their feud remains ongoing, with little resolution (and plenty of pettiness) in sight.

Brandi Glanville and Denise Richards (RHOBH)

Brandi is not one to stay in the shadows for long. In true Brandi-fashion, the former Housewife briefly returned in Season 10 to share some, uh, unexpected news. According to Brandi, she had an ongoing affair with the newly-married Denise Richards, a Housewife at the time, much to the surprise of literally everyone.

Brandi claimed that Denise was “sexually aggressive” toward her when they first met in 2018, leading to a passionate affair. Denise has adamantly denied all of Brandi's allegations of a past tryst, though it certainly hasn't stopped Brandi from sharing more details.

Porsha Williams and NeNe Leakes (RHOA)

This duo has had their fair share of ups and downs throughout the years. Their feud started in Season 8 when Porsha claimed NeNe physically grabbed her during the OG's infamous closet meltdown. None of their co-stars commented on the push, and Leakes denied the allegation, though it didn't stop her from retaliating. NeNe fired back at Porsha with a series of "angry, aggressive text messages" criticizing her weight just six days after Porsha gave birth to her first child. After Porsha shared the texts on Instagram, NeNe allegedly responded with a cease and desist.

But don't worry, they're BFFs today!

Lisa Rinna and Kim Richards (RHOBH)

Quite possibly the most iconic Housewives feud is that of Kim Richards and Lisa Rinna’s “Bunnygate.” The two were never quite friends, a fact that was cemented following Lisa’s questioning of Kim’s sobriety in Season 5. Lisa apologized during a dinner in Amsterdam — an apology that Kim did not accept. Rather, Kim implied she knew something about Lisa’s husband, Harry Hamlin, leading Lisa to throw her wine glass at Kim and utter the famous words, “don’t you ever go after my f*cking husband.”

Things between the two women escalated again in Season 7 after Lisa said that Kim is “close to dying,” which she adamantly denied throughout much of the season. Kim had other ideas, however, and infamously shut down the possibility of a friendship by returning the bunny Lisa bought for Kim’s grandson at the Season 7 reunion. During this encounter, Lisa shed a single tear.

To no one’s surprise, Lisa and Kim aren’t friends today, though they sort of agreed to put the past behind them.

Teresa Giudice and Melissa Gorga (RHONJ)

This sister showdown has dominated our screens since the very beginning. When Melissa joined her sister-in-law on Season 3 of RHONJ, fans quickly learned that the two women did not get along. Like at all. After an argument between Teresa and her brother, Joe Gorga (Melissa's husband), turned into a physical fight between Joe and Teresa’s husband at the time (coincidentally also named Joe), things never really reconciled. The tension continued after Melissa brought sprinkle cookies to Christmas, which was apparently deeply offensive to Teresa.

More recently, Teresa did not ask Melissa to be a bridesmaid in her wedding to Luis Ruelas (despite having Luis's sisters in the wedding), invite Melissa’s family to her wedding, and proceeded to spread rumors about Melissa cheating on Joe. In the aftermath, neither Melissa nor Joe attended Teresa's August 2022 wedding, and the families are at arm's length.

Lisa Vanderpump, Dorit Kemsley and Kyle Richards (RHOBH)

Puppygate saw the end of LVP on RHOBH, and we’re still not over it. In Season 9, Lisa claimed that Dorit returned a puppy she adopted from Lisa’s Vanderpump Dogs rescue to a kill shelter, forcing the other women to take sides in the disagreement.

Dorit claimed that the puppy bit her husband (who happened to be longtime friends with Lisa) and other family members, leading them to rehome the dog with an acquaintance, and that person must have brought it to a shelter, While Dorit eventually apologized to Lisa, their relationship was too far gone and the feud shifted towards whether Lisa leaked the story to the press. Kyle Richards, who was then Lisa’s BFF and friend to Dorit, took Dorit’s side, ultimately ending her decades-long friendship with Lisa in a blowout fight. “Goodbye, Kyle!”

Lisa quit the show before the reunion, denying that she spoke about the dog to the media. While Dorit and Kyle are besties today, neither are close to Lisa.

Vicki Gunvalson and Kelly Dodd (RHOC)

We can’t mention conflict without thinking of Vicki and Kelly. When Kelly joined the show for Season 11, she and Vicky became fast friends. It wasn’t long before that relationship turned sour, with Kelly calling Vicky, who owns an insurance company, a “con woman” who “preys on old people.” This comment turned into a lawsuit, with Vicki claiming “defamation, libel, trade libel, interference with actual and prospective economic business advantage, false light and injunctive relief.” Not surprisingly, the lawsuit was lived, as it took less than a month for Vicki to drop the charges so that she could attend the Season 13 reunion show. The reunion only led to more conflict (if you can even believe it) as the women accused one another of doing drugs.

Somehow, the pair made amends in 2021 following Vicki’s decision to leave the show in 2020 and Kelly’s dismissal.

Porsha Williams and Kenya Moore (RHOA)

Porsha and Kenya got off to a rocky start in Season 5 after Porsha referred to the former Miss USA as Miss America (Which is apparently offensive? We can't say.). The drama continued, with Kenya accusing Porsha of cheating on her ex-husband Kordell Stewart, both women accusing each other of being whores, Porsha pulling Kenya’s hair leading to a physical fight, Kenya demanding that Porsha be fired from the show, you know — typical friend behavior.

Not surprisingly, the two aren't friends today, with the Season 12 reunion ending with Porsha calling Kenya a “fake friend.”

Kim Richards, Kyle Richards and Kathy Hilton (RHOBH)

Bravo loves a family feud, and the Richards sister gave it their all. The lowest point in the sisters’ relationship came during the Season 1 finale of RHOBH after Kim, who was no longer sober, accused Kyle and her husband Mauricio Umansky of "stealing [her] goddamn house." While the sisters struggled to move past their infamous limo fight, their relationship remained rocky over the years. This led to a on-and-off-again relationship between Kyle and her other sister, Kathy Hilton, who seemed to side with Kim in many of the arguments.

Bethenny Frankel and Jill Zarin (RHONY)

Bethenny is certainly forthright, occasionally rubbing her fellow Housewives the wrong way. Such is true following Season 2, where the former BFFs stopped speaking for months, supposedly because Jill felt Bethenny was getting more attention than her. The friends got into it throughout Season 3, after Bethenny accused Jill of being jealous of her success. Jill, meanwhile, slammed Bethenny for not being present as her late husband, Bobby Zarin, battled cancer.

Today, the pair have seemingly “made up,” at least to some degree. After years of not speaking, Jill appeared on Bethenny’s podcast, “Just B with Bethenny Frankel.” “I was surprised, but I wasn’t gonna be impulsive,” Jill said of getting the request to appear on the podcast to Us Weekly. “Maybe because I’m medicated now and I wasn’t 13 years ago — in a good way. I have anxiety. I definitely had an anxiety disorder when you knew me, for sure.” Jill continued, saying that she was initially hesitant to say yes, but her daughter encouraged her to do it. “And that’s it,” Jill recalled. “That’s all it took.”

Vicki Gunvaalson and Gretchen Rossi (and Slade Smiley) (RHOC)

With a RHOC tenure of 13 years, Vicki was bound to enter conflict at one time or another. And she certainly did. While the friction between the two women was ongoing, it came to a head during an 80s theme party in Season 7. Gretchen’s BF at the time, Slade, made several comments about Vicki’s looks, leading to an intense shouting match between the pair.

Dorit Kemsley and Camille Grammer (RHOBH)

The women of RHOBH are known for their feuds, but the one between Camille and (at the time) relative newbie Dorit tops the list. Despite a number of digs towards one another, things really escalated when Camille accused Dorit’s husband “PK” of being over a million dollars in debt, which launched a history of petty drama between the two. Dorit fired back on several occasions, at one point completely randomly (and somewhat hilariously) calling Camille a “stupid c*nt.” Why she said that at the time — nobody knows, but it certainly made for great TV.

Porsha Williams and Kandi Burruss (RHOA)

After a make-out session during Season 9 of RHOA, Kandi claimed Porsha wanted to have sex with her. As a result, Porsha clapped back with a series of her own accusations, including alleging that Kandi's husband was unfaithful, the couple had a sex dungeon and that Kandi previously dated a woman (which isn't a bad thing, BTW). Porsha took it a step further, alleging that someone told her Kandi and Todd planned to drug her to take advantage of her, which Kandi adamantly denied. Somehow, the two women seem OK today, even co-starring in an MTV comedy, Pretty Stoned.

Teresa Giudice and Danielle Staub (RHONJ)

Teresa and Danielle's feud gifted RHONJ fans one of the most memorable moments in Housewives history: Teresa's infamous table flip. After the Season 1 cast discovered a book about Danielle's shady past, the women confronted her, with Teresa accusing Danielle of being a "prostitution whore, [who was] f*cking engaged nineteen times" and flipped the dinner table over. Their feud continued throughout Season 2, leading Teresa to get into Danielle's face (and subsequently push host Andy Cohen) after Danielle accused Teresa of not being there for her family.

Candiace Dillard and Monique Samuels (RHOP)

Despite starting off on good terms, Candiace and Monique’s relationship turned bitter. The duo engaged in a couple of physical or near-physical fights, which both women now regret.

“Anytime you get physical, that’s taking it to a whole other level. That’s real life,” Monique explained during an episode of Us Weekly‘s Getting Real with the Housewives podcast. “I took that [moment] very seriously, because I’ve not been in any physical altercation since I was in grade school. I’m 36 years old. I have three kids and a whole husband. So, I’m like, ‘This is insane.’ It allowed me to go on a journey of just looking at certain things from childhood or just trying to figure out what are my triggers."

Romantic Silhouettes

Take Romantic Silhouettes, for example. This is a trend we've seen steadily gain traction over the past few years. Think curvy furniture, delicate floral prints, and soft blush hues — when curated thoughtfully, these elements can become timeless staples in your home.

Watch Shea's take on designing your home for 2025!

Western Cowboy

This is a design trend that totally surprised me, but I'm so happy to see it in the mix. Elements like leather furniture, rustic accessories, equestrian art, even wood walls, shown in this office designed by A1000XBetter, are making an impact in 2025 and beyond. But Shea notes that you can take this trend literally or just be inspired by the look. You can also mix it with other styles to personalize it for you. Add romantic pillows or ruffled tablecloths like McGee & Co. x Loeffler Randall Gardenia Ruffle Border Tablecloth – things you love that make it yours vs. based solely on one trend.

Saturated Colors

Shea predicts that rich hues like deep browns, oxblood red, and earthy greens will continue to dominate home decor colors going into 2025. House of Rolison's bathroom brown is an excellent example of this beautiful trend.

Pattern Drenching

Embracing a single pattern and drenching an entire room in it — from walls to pillows, headboards, and curtains — is a surprise trend for 2025. This maximalist approach, which has been quietly gaining traction, draws inspiration from Arts and Crafts designers like William Morris and has been in and out of vogue since the Victorian era.

Embellishments

This is a trend you can easily DIY to add an extra layer of charm to your decor. Think playful details like fringe accents —beautifully shown in McGee & Co.'s Philippa Settee — along with tassels, pleats, ruffles, and rope. It’s all about embracing texture and whimsy, so have fun with it!

Seaside Inspiration

Coastal decor has long been an influence in design and you can be inspired by it in many forms, from shell accents to beach-inspired artwork like McGee & Co.'s Distant Coastline art to textured seagrass baskets and jute rugs. Even the soothing hues of the sea — think soft blues, sandy neutrals, and gentle greens — can inspire your 2025 spaces.

Check out the full list of Studio McGee 2025 Design Trends!