Rebecca Shaw

Margot Robbie has reportedly taken her husband Tom Ackerley's surname, prompting a Guardian opinion column by Rebecca Shaw reflecting on what the choice means from a lesbian perspective. The piece examines why women in the public eye still adopt their husbands' names, questioning the tradition and what it signals about identity and marriage norms today.

Writer Rebecca Shaw argues in a Guardian column that Margot Robbie taking her husband Tom Ackerley's surname is disappointing, saying she minds the decision when it is treated as the default rather than a genuine choice. The piece frames the actor's name change as a prompt to debate marriage naming conventions and the expectations placed on women, drawing reaction from readers on both sides of the issue.