5 Famous Women Who Were Body-Shamed By the Media

It can be hard for anyone to feel confident about their body all the time. After all, everyone has a bad day, whether it be your hair, feeling bloated, or simply discovering a spot that makes you feel uncomfortable in your own skin

However, while everyone has the right to feel uncomfortable in their own skin, no one has the right to make people feel uncomfortable by pointing out perceived flaws. The bottom line is that everyone should be encouraged to have body confidence, regardless of how they look.

Of course, it’s even harder if you’re a celebrity and constantly in the public eye. That’s why there are so many celebs who have been body shamed, despite there being nothing wrong with their bodies.

Let’s take a look at 5 famous women who were body-shamed by the media.

1. Britney Spears

Britney Spears is one of the most famous celebrities on the planet. She has a phenomenal voice and has publicly fought a battle with her own mental health. Throughout the years she has also been body-shamed by the media on multiple occasions.

With so many incidents of body shaming, it can be hard to choose one. However, a particular incident was in 2017 when the Daily Mail published “Britney Packs a Paunch”. It referred to her appearance in the run-up to the Femme Fatale tour, stating she had chunky thighs and a bloated belly.

However, Britney looked stunning, her show was a success, and you certainly didn’t see the male member of the audience who was selected to go on stage complaining.

2. Jessica Simpson

Jessica Simpson became extremely famous early in the 21^st century and the media followed her every move. But, in 2009 they turned against her, photos from her performance at the Radio 99.9 Kiss Country’s annual Chili Cookoff went viral with an array of comments about her mom jeans.

The truth was Simpson was a size 4 and had been struggling with body image for years. It is fair to say this led to her dependency on drugs and alcohol.

The good news is today she is sober, looks fantastic as always, and is busy teaching her children the importance of accepting their body as it is.

3. Tyra Banks

Tyra Banks, the Supermodel turned TV star, was photographed on the beach in Sydney in a one-piece swimsuit.  The tabloids published the photo declaring that she had gained 40lbs. Tyra didn’t know anything about it until she landed back in Los Angeles and started fielding calls from worried family and friends.

Tyra may be one of the highest-profile celebs who have been body-shamed but she has always been open about her weight gains and losses. In this instance, the claim wasn’t even justified. She put the same swimsuit on for her show ‘The Tyra banks Show’ and effortlessly proved the claims were false. Not that it should have mattered if they had been true.

4. Rihanna

Of all the celebrities who faced body shaming Rihanna is probably the best at creating putdowns. She also seems like the least likely celebrity to be body shamed. After all, she looks stunning in everything, regardless of whether she has curves or not.

In fact, during the covid lockdown she has put on a little weight and looks fantastic, she proudly shows it off for the camera in a great example of body confidence.

But, it was in 2017 she joined the famous women who were body-shamed by the media when the headline ‘Is Rihanna going to make being fat the hot new trend?” was published. Rihanna had put on a few pounds. But, she is proud of her body and published a meme that swiftly put the writer in his place.

5. Jennifer Hudson

Jennifer Hudson has been known to gain weight and often faces unflattering comments in the media. But, she is also one of the celebrities who faced body shaming because they have lost weight. That’s despite all the shamers telling her to lose weight!

As soon as she lost weight she was ridiculed, with the media saying she was too thin. It’s proof that you can’t win, that’s why it’s more important to focus on your own body confidence.

 

Final Thoughts On Celebrities Who Faced Body Shaming

The above are just five of the many celebrities who faced body shaming. There are many, many more. It’s worth noting that while women are predominantly targeted for body shaming, famous men have also been targeted.

For example, Leonardo DiCaprio was fat-shamed in 2014 while hitting the beach in Bora Bora. Vin Diesel was body-shamed after an unflattering picture of his dad bod came to life.

The simple truth is that until people accept that everyone is different and should be valued as they are, regardless of the look of their body, body shaming will continue. All you can do is ignore the body shamers, without an audience they will move on to something else.