Amy Schumer Combats Fat-Shamers With Inspiring Message About Body Confidence

Whether she likes it or not — and often she does not — Amy Schumer has been the center of debate in recent years over what actually constitutes plus-size, and she has come to be a role model for women who have bodies that don’t resemble one of a runway model. Sometimes the comedian has been defensive about the topic, and other times she’s joked about it. Still other times she has used the spotlight as a teachable moment. Such is the case with her most recent statement on social media about body-shaming and self-acceptance.

The statement comes on the heels of Schumer’s two Grammy nominations (for Best Spoken Word Album and Best Comedy Album), which were announced yesterday, as well as the news that she will be playing the iconic Barbie — a doll whose figure has long been the subject of controversy — in an upcoming live-action movie. Because she has been in the news a lot the past few days, she has likely been seeing an uptick in critical comments about her size — which claims fluctuates between 6 an 8 and she insists is not plus-size — Schumer wrote the following on Instagram on Tuesday:

“Very very honored to be nominated for 2 Grammys and to be considered to play an important and evolving icon. Is it fat shaming if you know you’re not fat and have zero shame in your game? I don’t think so. I am strong and proud of how I live my life and say what I mean and fight for what I believe in and I have a blast doing it with the people I love. Where’s the shame? It’s not there. It’s an illusion. When I look in the mirror I know who I am. Im a great friend, sister, daughter and girlfriend. I’m a badass comic headlining arenas all over the world and making tv and movies and writing books where I lay it all out there and I’m fearless like you can be. Thanks to everyone for the kind words and support and again my deepest sympathy goes out to the trolls who are in more pain than we will ever understand. I want to thank them for making it so evident that I am a great choice. It’s that kind of response that let’s you know something’s wrong with our culture and we all need to work together to change it. Anyone who has ever been bullied or felt bad about yourself I am out there fighting for you, for us. And I want you to fight for yourself too! We need to laugh at the haters and sympathize with them. They can scream as loud as they want. We can’t hear them because we are getting shit done. I am proud to lead by example. “I say if I’m beautiful, I say if I’m strong. You will not determine my story. I will.”

She hashtagged the post with “#thegirlwiththelowerbacktattoo,” which is the title of her bestselling autobiography as well as a self-deprecating reference to her ink, placed in a spot traditionally thought of as a cliché for women.

Related: A Woman Born Without a Vagina Is Trying to Have Biological Children

Schumer’s empowering words — which accompanied a photo of her frolicking on the beach in a black one-piece swimsuit — have been a rallying cry for her 5.4 million Instagram followers. In just eight hours, it has garnered 193,000 likes and more than 8,000 bolstering comments. One person offered a congratulatory sentiment to Schumer for her recent accomplishments, writing, “Love you! And I love that you will be Barbie! in the Barbie feature film. So awesome. #youcanbeanything.”

Another user wrote, “You amaze me every day with your beauty.” Some commenters were simply inspired. “You are an inspiring woman! Thank you for speaking from the heart and reminding us to be brave and truthful to ourselves,” one wrote. Another chimed in: “Not sure what happened, but I can say I have mad respect for your post and your career. When will women be celebrated for their successes and not their bodies! It starts with us. Here’s to all the hard working, wonderful people out there. May you continue to shine from the inside.”

In the past, Schumer has famously defended her figure and pointed to the double standards and incredible pressure to be thin in the entertainment industry. In an interview about losing weight to film her movie Trainwreck, Schumer recalled it was because “it was explained to me before I did that movie that if you weigh over 140 pounds as a woman in Hollywood, if you’re on the screen it will hurt people’s eyes,” Schumer told The Jonathan Ross Show, according to People. “I didn’t know that so I lost some weight to do that but never again.”

Related: Lady Gaga Says She Suffers From PTSD Due to Sexual Assault

She’s used her fame as a platform to highlight a lifelong struggle with maintaining a healthy perspective about her body in the face of conventional beauty standards. In an interview on the Today show, she said body image has been “a struggle for me my whole life … Going to put jeans on or things that I see girls in magazines or on TV wearing wasn’t agreeing with my body type. You feel bad and wrong. It creates so much anxiety.”

And in a speech she gave at the Gloria Awards in 2014, Schumer admitted to being affected by the standards of beauty in society and in her industry, saying, “I can be reduced … so quickly sometimes, I want to quit. Not performing, but being a woman altogether. I want to throw my hands in the air, after reading a mean Twitter comment, and say, ‘All right! You got it. You figured me out … All my self-worth is based on what you can see.’ But then I think, F*** that.”

It’s common for Schumer to take to her own social media to make a statement about what she believes in, though — and it’s more often that she’s being cheeky or sarcastic about the high expectations put on women to maintain trim physiques. She uses Instagram to send up society with incisive captions, like one throwback she posted almost three months ago. Next to it she wrote, “15 ways to washboard abs that will make him say wow. #tbt.”

Let’s keep in touch! Follow Yahoo Beauty on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.