The Real Reason The AT&T Commercial Girl Is Hiding Her Body In Latest NCAA Ad

If you've turned your TV to anything besides Netflix in the last few years, there's a good chance you've seen the AT&T commercials featuring Lily Adams, a resourceful store employee. Since 2013, Milana Vayntrub has played the character in more than 40 TV spots for AT&T, and for many avid viewers, she's become synonymous with the telecommunications brand. So, it was a welcome surprise when she recently made a reappearance for an NCAA March Madness-themed commercial.

This time around, we see Lily hyping up AT&T's 5G network to a March Madness fan. Every time the customer has a new question, they also have a new foam finger — which Lily can't help but point out is a little bit weird (after she's answered all of the questions, of course).

The new March Madness ad fits right in with the other Lily spots, showcasing her quirky personality and quick wit. However, fans may have noticed that in this commercial, the character, who can often be seen roaming around an AT&T store, is stationed behind a desk with her body mostly concealed. It turns out that concealing her body was an intentional choice by Vayntrub, and she was more than willing to share with fans why she'll continue to do so for the time being.

After receiving numerous questions about why her body is hidden in the latest AT&T commercials, Milana Vayntrub — who also voices Squirrel Girl in New Warriors — took to Twitter to explain the decision. "Well," she wrote, "I direct the ads. I place myself like that. And it's because of the thousands of unwelcome comments I receive about my body. You've lost the privilege of looking at it until I feel safe again."

This is not the first time Vayntrub has directly addressed the fact that she receives unwanted comments about her body. Last year, she spoke out about the sexual harassment she received online, which intensified after photos of herself in college were spread around. During an Instagram Live session that was reposted on Twitter, she read the inappropriate comments she was receiving out loud and made it clear they were making her uncomfortable. She told viewers, "I am not consenting to any of this... I do not want any of this."

AT&T has expressed their support for the actress, saying "We will not tolerate the inappropriate comments and harassment of Milana Vayntrub, the talented actor and director who portrays Lily in our ads. Last summer, we disabled or deleted these comments on our social sites. We continue to fight to support her and our values, which appreciate and respect all women" (via Yahoo). The company has since released another ad featuring Lily once again seated behind a desk.