It’s fair to say that we all have days when we don’t feel our best; perhaps we’ve put on a bit of weight, our skin isn’t looking glowing the way we want, or we’re just feeling a little off. We’re all guilty of saying some not-so-nice things to ourselves during these moments. Now imagine having an off day, feeling down about yourself, and then seeing lots of social media users posting negative comments about those not-so-shiny moments.
Body-shaming isn’t new, certainly, but social media definitely doesn’t make it easier. And as with rampant online mom-shaming, It’s great to see some celebrity moms aren’t taking the negative criticism lying down.
RELATED: 7 Celebrities Who Are Constantly Battling Mom-Shamers Online
Here are some of our favorite moments in which celeb moms stood up for themselves against body-shamers.
Kelly Clarkson
A mom-of-two, Clarkson is, unfortunately, no strangers to body-shamers. Like most women, Clarkson’s weight fluctuated during and after pregnancy, and the internet would not let her forget that she gained weight. Clarkson’s most notable refute to body shamers was to a Twitter troll who called her “fat.” Clarkson responded to them, saying, “…and still f*cking awesome.”
Adele
Grammy-award winner and mom-of-one, Adele, has frequently dealt with negative comments about her weight since she stepped into stardom in 2008. She has said that she makes music for “people’s ears, not eyes,” but that doesn’t mean she’s not affected by the negative comments. In Adele: The Biography, she shared, “I’ve always been a size 14 to 16 and been fine with it. I would only lose weight if it affected my health or sex life which it doesn’t.”
Serena Williams
Even as a 23-time Grand Slam champion, Williams has faced criticism for her body. Not for being overweight, but for being “too muscular.” Williams has said that the comments do hurt her feelings, but she is also very confident about her body — as she should be! She sees it as her “weapon.”
Melissa McCarthy
McCarthy lights up screens with her comedy, but she often deals with less funny commentary off-screen. No stranger to hateful comments, McCarthy has said that her family keeps her grounded and that she does her best not to discuss body image, instead preferring to focus on her work. About the negative commenters, including a notable film critic, she told the New York Times, “I feel really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate. I just thought, ‘That’s someone who’s in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot.’”
Mindy Kaling
A mom to one-year-old daughter, Katherine, Kaling has dealt with her fair share of negative online commentary about her weight. Her focus is on being a good role model for young girls and not getting caught up in competition about her body size or shape. She recently posted pics of herself in a bikini with the inspiring message, “IDK who needs to hear this but… WEAR A BIKINI IF YOU WANT TO WEAR A BIKINI. You don’t have to be a size 0.”
Kristen Bell
The Veronica Mars star and mom-of-two faced body criticism after she gave birth to her second child. She responded to her online haters, saying, “I am not a woman whose self-worth comes from her dress size…comparison is one long, agonizing death and does interest me at all.”
Beyoncé
Even Queen Bey deals with negative comments about her body, most notably after her Super Bowl 50 performance. Haters took to Twitter to comment that the star had put on some weight and was looking “heavy.” Unsurprisingly, Beyoncé dealt with the negative commentary with her signature grace. As she told Shape about the song “Bootylicious,” “The pressure that people put you under, the pressure to be thin, is unbelievable. I was just 18 and you shouldn’t be thinking about that. You should be thinking about building up your character and having fun, and the song was just telling everyone to forget what people are saying, you’re bootylicious. It’s a celebration of curves and a celebration of women’s bodies.”
Did we leave off any of your favorite celebrities who’ve fought against body-shamers? Sound off in the comments!
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