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Entertainment March 22, 2017
As glamorous as being a pop star may sound, Selena Gomez knows that being a celebrity comes with its share of drawbacks – like body shaming. Although a 2016 survey found that 96 percent of American girls have experienced body-shaming, female celebrities like Gomez seem to receive the most publicly negative comments.
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Selena Gomez also knows, though, how to put body shamers in their place.
Here are five times Selena Gomez shut down body-shaming and gave her female fans major inspiration on how to deal with their own critics.
You’ve probably heard the old saying, “A picture is worth a thousand words.” In the case of Selena Gomez’s Instagram, this picture is worth extra thanks to the classy hashtag #theresmoretolove.
In 2015, Gomez started receiving backlash for allegedly “gaining weight” since her Disney days. There’s no better way to shut down haters than posting a gorgeous photo of yourself at what looks like an island getaway.
Another point in Gomez’s favor? She didn’t let body shaming interfere with her success. In fact, she found inspiration in the negative comments surrounding her. As she told Extra: “When I started recording the record [for Revival], I had no idea. I had no title, I had no heart, I was figuring out what I needed to say.”
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However, while she was brainstorming about the album in Mexico, she was “getting a lot of hate for her body and for ‘gaining weight.’ I’d be lying if I said it didn’t hurt my feelings, but I channeled that into my music. My songs from the record are about survivors – Kill ‘Em With Kindness, Rise. It’s all geared toward me trying to be heard.”
“Revival” went on to be Gomez’s second number-one album on the Billboard 200 Chart. Talk about turning some sour lemons into some very sweet lemonade…
Gomez surprised everyone by posing shirtless for the “Revival” album cover, which, of course, earned its own tidal wave of nasty comments. However, Gomez pointed out that she did a similarly “scandalous” photo shoot for V earlier that year. She also said, “This is my time. I want to do it the way I want to do it. It’s beautiful, I’m proud of that.”
Have you ever wondered if celebrities really take the time to read the hundreds of comments on their Instagram photos? Well, Gomez read one particular comment and she didn’t back down from defending her body, her lifestyle and her priorities.
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When @laurenlv94 said that Gomez needed to lose weight because image is important in the acting/singing “business,” Gomez quickly replied: “I don’t need to do anything other than love myself, take care of my work, fans, family and friends.”
Gomez also didn’t try to pretend that body shaming didn’t bother her. In 2015, she admitted that she was going to therapy to deal with the criticism on her appearance. “I feel confident and free. I’m not going to hide in my room and be depressed,” she later said.
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Even more recently, Gomez left the 2016 AMA attendants in tears with a brave speech that touched on her own “brokenness,” anxiety and depression. “I don’t wanna see your bodies on Instagram, I wanna see what’s in here,” Gomez said while putting her finger near her heart. “I’m not trying to get validation nor do I need it anymore. All I can say is that from the bottom of my heart I’m so grateful to be able to share what I love every single day with the people that I love.”
The truth is, whether you’re a small-town girl or a famous singer and actress like Selena Gomez, body shaming hurts. But Gomez shows exactly how you can fight back and love yourself in the process.