Alabama Barker Reveals She Has an Autoimmune Disease amid Body-Shaming Comments: ‘Keep Your Opinions to Yourself’
The 17-year-old shared her diagnosis after seeing online comments about her weight
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Alabama Barker is speaking out after facing body-shaming comments stemming from recent paparazzi photos, particularly those that led critics to refer to her as a “catfish.”
The youngest daughter of Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler told fans on TikTok Sunday that she has an autoimmune disease and a thyroid problem that resulted in weight gain.
“Paparazzi will purposely take pictures of you with your mouth open, middle of a sentence and any ugly picture they can get of you just for views,” Alabama said. “I would love to see you guys getting random pictures of you taken of you when you’re leaving the grocery store, in the middle of a sentence, with your mouth wide open… and let’s see how beautiful you look.”
Alabama went on to explain that she has “a thyroid problem and an autoimmune disease,” which are contributing factors to her weight gain. “So, it would be very appreciated if you guys just keep your opinions to yourself,” she said. “It’ll get you further in life.”
After explaining that her weight “fluctuates,” Alabama said she hoped any young girls watching her video and are “gaining weight” do not ever “think there’s something wrong with it.”
“There is a certain point where if your health is getting affected by it, that you need to change it, but no… That’s not the case for me and I would appreciate it if you guys put yourself in my shoes,” Alabama concluded.
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Alabama has used TikTok in the past to defend herself, most recently when she faced criticism for a rap song she released in May. In a since-deleted video, she said she was “tired” of critics saying she did not know anything about the genre and reminded followers how she was on the road with Barker, 47, when he performed with Nicki Minaj and Rick Ross in 2011.
“Since I could walk, I was in the music industry. I was watching my dad perform in punk bands, rock bands, in rap concerts, everything," Alabama explained in the video seen by PEOPLE before it was seemingly deleted. "So, for the people that say, 'Oh, she doesn't know anything about rap music. She didn't grow up around rap music. Why is she doing this? Why is she doing that?' I've been influenced by rap my entire upbringing and punk rock."
Earlier this month, Alabama debuted a new finger tattoo of a cross. This is a tribute to her maternal grandparents, who died months apart. Moakler's father John died earlier this month, seven months after her mother Gail. "For my grandparents," Alabama captioned a photo of her ink.
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