Ty Pennington Responds to Body Shamers After Viral Silly Dancing Video
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The TV personality admitted to feeling "ashamed" after receiving harsh hate comments on social media.
Ty Pennington wants body shaming culture on social media to come to an end, once and for all.
The Extreme Makeover: Home Edition host shared a poignant message about online haters and body shamers while opening up about his own experience receiving harsh criticism of his body.
It started for Pennington, 58, back in January 2022, when he shared a joyful, lighthearted Instagram video of himself busting a move while shirtless on a beach.
"I didn't even plan it. I just had to move, man. I was like: When Booker T. & the M.G.'s comes on, I'm gonna groove, man," he told Yahoo Life in an interview published on March 7. "So I had no idea 1) that it would get so many views and 2) it would get so many reactions. The funny part is, [at first, I had my shorts] very low—and then I hiked 'em up to like my nipples. So that's the joke. But even then I got comments."
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According to the Trading Spaces alum, he was called "disgusting," "old," "gross" and "fat" in the comments, leaving him feeling "ashamed."
Pennington says the experience made him think more about the way cruel words can have an effect on others as well. He noted, "If you're gonna take the time to shame somebody like me—who's just a regular guy, who's not fat, not skinny, just an average guy—then what are you saying to other people who are worse off in either direction?"
"It's important that we all remember how painful it can be—to a male or female—who thinks they posted something funny about themselves, having a good time, and that turns into this absolute shaming, where they feel disgusted about themselves and it goes straight to depression," he further implored. "It's just not OK in my book."
Pennington previously addressed the body shaming on his viral dancing video in a follow-up post in February 2022, where shared his thoughts on aging with a candid photo taken by his wife, Kellee Merrell.
"I'm human and I have feelings," he wrote at the time. "Yes, I am older but I think it's pretty cool."
