These 19 Celebs Clapped Back At Body Shamers In The Best Way Possible
If there's one thing you're guaranteed to find on social media, it's miserable trolls.
Disney / Marvel / Via Giphy
Emboldened by online anonymity, people feel far too comfortable attacking someone's appearance. Celebrities tend to be subjected to more of these insults than anyone could imagine.
As hurtful as it is to be body-shamed, these celebs made sure to get the last word on the trolls that mocked them.
1.Melanie Lynskey
Instead of immersing herself in the gripping story, Adrianne Curry watched HBO's The Last of Us and resorted to body shaming for no reason. Regarding Melanie Lynskey's role as Kathleen, Curry tweeted, "Her body says life of luxury… not post apocolyptic [sic] warlord. Where is Linda Hamilton when you need her?"
Lynskey defended herself immediately, tweeting, "I am supposed to be SMART, ma’am. I don’t need to be muscly. That’s what henchmen are for." Lynskey shut her down so hard that Curry deleted her Twitter account.
2.Lizzo
Lizzo never shies from spreading messages of body positivity and self-love. The "About Damn Time" singer has faced years of body shaming, so her fans collectively cheered when she retaliated on TikTok.
"Hey, so I've been working out consistently for the last five years and it may come as a surprise to some of y'all that I'm not working out to have your ideal body type. I'm working out to have my ideal body type," she said in the video. "And you know what type that is? None of your f**king business."
3.Lili Reinhart
Lili Reinhart has been incredibly vocal about body positivity after being harassed by trolls online. When one photo taken during an outing sparked pregnancy rumors, Reinhart refused to remain silent.
"My body is something that I will NEVER apologize for," she wrote in her Instagram Stories. "My body will constantly go through change. And so will yours. And that's fine. So let's not put so much time and effort into caring about a stranger's figure."
4.Chris Pratt
Chris Pratt's body was a hot topic when he lost weight to play Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy. His weight loss carried over into the Jurassic World films.
When people online started shaming his thin frame in 2017, saying he looked "skeletal," Pratt humorously responded with an Instagram photo of a T-Rex skull. "Well, just because I am a male doesn't mean I'm impervious to your whispers," he wrote in the caption. "Body shaming hurts."
5.Kourtney Kardashian
Kourtney Kardashian wasn't having it when an Instagram user commented "SHE'S PREGENANT [sic]" under one of her bikini photos. Though the reality star has three children, she wasn't pregnant in the image and was being judged for a bit of belly weight.
Kardashian replied directly to the comment with, "This is me when I have a few extra pounds on, and I actually love it. I have given birth three amazing times and this is the shape of my body."
6.Jennifer Aniston
Jennifer Aniston has been the victim of countless unprovoked pregnancy rumors. In 2016, she responded to the unnecessary comments by writing an essay for HuffPost titled "For The Record."
Within the lengthy essay, she writes, "For the record, I am not pregnant. What I am is fed up." Needless to say, many famous women likely share a similar sentiment.
7.Rihanna
This is yet another frustrating case of unwarranted pregnancy rumors. Rihanna was criticized for her body following her 2018 Grammy Award performance. In true Rih fashion, she hit back at her body shamers with a hilarious meme on Instagram. The image reads: "If you can't handle me at my 2007 Gucci Mane, you don't deserve me at my 2017 Gucci Mane."
8.Jonah Hill
Jonah Hill's approach to body shamers might not seem practical, given how disrespectful social media users can be. Yet, you can't blame him for trying. “I know you mean well but I kindly ask that you not comment on my body,” he once wrote on his since-deleted Instagram page. “Good or bad I want to politely let you know it’s not helpful and doesn’t feel good. Much respect.”
9.Gigi Hadid
In 2015, Gigi Hadid reminded us of the absurd expectations placed upon models, especially on social media. After being shamed for her body type, she fired back in a long Instagram message.
"Your mean comments don't make me want to change my body, they don't make me want to say no to the designers that ask me to be in their shows, and they definitely don't change the designer's opinions of me." She also noted that instead of making nasty comments, people could simply mind their business. "If you don't like it, don't follow me, don't watch me, 'cause I'm not going anywhere."
10.Sam Smith
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Sam Smith got candid about their experience with body dysmorphia while dealing with the public's opinion. After all, it's nearly impossible to ignore the sheer amount of vitriol being spewed about them online.
"Every time I went to the pool I felt self-conscious, but I forced myself to take my top off," Smith said. "It paid off because I now have the opposite of body dysmorphia. I look fabulous. I'm finally getting a tan. I'm burnt in places I've never been burnt."
11.Matt McGorry
Actor/activist Matt McGorry was teased for being "chubby" as a child, and he retaliated by becoming a personal trainer at 18. As expected, the online discourse about his appearance shifted when he allowed himself, and his body, to be happier.
In a powerful essay for Medium, he stated, "I’ve gained quite a bit of weight. I mean, I’ve really let go. And as a result, my health has been impacted. I have a healthier relationship with my body than ever before. I’ve let go of internalized fatphobia, and all correlating notions that I have to look a certain way to deserve love, dignity, and respect."
12.Gabourey Sidibe
Gabourey Sidibe has been a target of relentless body shaming since the beginning of her career. However, Sidibe didn't miss a beat after having her appearance criticized at the 2014 Golden Globes. She tweeted: "To people making mean comments about my GG pics, I mos def cried about it on that private jet on my way to my dream job last night."
13.Lady Gaga
Lady Gaga gave us one of the most electric Super Bowl halftime shows in recent history and she still had to deal with online backlash over her weight. The pop icon took to Instagram to write, "I heard my body is a topic of conversation so I wanted to say, I'm proud of my body and you should be proud of yours too. No matter who you are or what you do."
14.Charlie Puth
Charlie Puth kindly reminded his Twitter followers that not every male celebrity is built like a Greek god. After being body-shamed over a paparazzi picture of him leaving the gym shirtless, he tweeted, "Hey just a very quick reminder that it’s not cool to body shame anyone. Not entirely sure what the purpose of it is. Sorry I don’t have an 8 pack like damn."
15.Kelly Clarkson
Kelly Clarkson is no stranger to dealing with body shamers, but she also has no qualms about sticking up for others. Coming to Valerie Bertinelli’s defense after a Twitter troll called her “chubby,” Clarkson wrote: "True power is recognizing the projection of others negativity & punching it square n the face w/all the positive, remarkable, intelligent, beautiful light that seeps from ur pores. Pity people that speak ill of others because while some of us r dancing, the others r too afraid."
16.Valerie Bertinelli
The Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli has repeatedly fallen prey to harsh troll comments, and in 2021 she chose to address them in a heartfelt Instagram video. The caption reads, "aren’t we tired of body shaming women yet?!"
She mentioned she was initially going to delete the posts that made her feel "vulnerable." However, she chose not to for the sake of those who share her same vulnerabilities and struggles.
17.Kumail Nanjiani
Like Chris Pratt, Kumail Nanjiani was the topic of much online discussion after losing weight for a Marvel role. In response to the physical build he worked so hard for, social media joked about Nanjiani using steroids.
Speaking candidly with Vulture, Nanjiani revealed that he's always been hyper-aware of his weight and appearance. “To hear a bunch of people reaffirming my own darkest thoughts about myself was very difficult,” he said. As a man who struggled with self-acceptance, he mentioned that, "... all of our problems basically come from men not feeling their feelings.'"
18.Megan Thee Stallion
In an interview with W Magazine, Megan Thee Stallion tackled the constant body shaming she experiences, especially while dancing. “Different body types offend different people. So if you are maybe smaller, twerking doesn’t come off as offensive, but when you got the assets,” she said, “then that’s when it comes off as, 'Oh my God, what the hell is going on?'"
She doubled down in the best way possible, saying, "I’ma twerk, and it’s gon’ look this way, and it might be offensive to you because I look like this, but I can’t help it. And I don’t care. I don’t care that you feel that way.”
19.Vin Diesel
After Vin Diesel was photographed looking less muscular than usual on his hotel balcony in Miami, he took a few light jabs at body shamers on Instagram. "Body-shaming is always wrong!" he declared under one image.
The following day he dedicated a second post to "all the angels that love dad bod regardless."
