Valeria Lukyanova finds 'Human Barbie' nickname 'degrading'

MOSCOW, June 9 (UPI) -- Valeria Lukyanova doesn't like her "Human Barbie" nickname.

The 29-year-old Moldovan-Ukrainian Internet personality declared as much in an interview with Cosmopolitan. Lukyanova gained fame for her resemblance to the iconic doll, but told the magazine she finds the moniker demeaning.

"I don't think they are right," she asserted of the label. "I think it's even a little degrading and insulting, but I'm used to it now, since that's what my work demands and this is precisely the image most fans request ... it's become a part of my aesthetic image, but I don't like it.

"I don't want people to try and copy someone," she said of those who would imitate her look. "That's why I don't like when people think I am imitating a doll; it's degrading. I believe that every person should be himself. He can be inspired by someone but not just copy another person."

In addition to her radical appearance, Lukyanova is known for her strange and sometimes controversial statements. She claimed to be training herself to subsist on air and light, and offended many by saying those of mixed-race heritage "degenerate" beauty in 2014.