The Most Honest Celebrity Quotes about Body Image Issues

Ashley Graham believes in the power of positive affirmations, and told Refinery 29, “When you look in the mirror and say, 'I'm ugly, I'm hideous, I'm fat,' at the end of the day, you are going to become ugly or fat [in your eyes]."

"Honestly, we need to start treating ourselves a little bit better. That's what I've done with the affirmation I say in my mirror," she said. Learning how to communicate with herself in a kinder way has been one of Ashley Graham’s most powerful tools in embracing her body and spreading the message of body-positivity.

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There’s no two ways about it — Jennifer Aniston is the pal we all wish we had on speed dial. She hit all the right notes when it comes to body positivity when she said, "All bodies are beautiful; let’s face it. We are so overly critical of ourselves — with the obsession with perfection, trying to reach a goal that's unrealistic." The message: learn to love who you are, just as you are — you are enough.

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In an Instagram post from 2016, two-time Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman had this to say: "Shoutout to all the boys from 5th-9th grade who made fun of me for being 'too strong. Thanks for forcing me to learn to love myself and my body. My muscular arms that were considered weird and gross when I was younger have made me one of the best gymnasts on the planet. Don't ever let anyone tell you how you should or shouldn't look." If that isn’t the ultimate table-turn on body-shamers, we don’t know what is. Take your cues from Aly Raisman and let all that negativity fuel you — you got this!

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Snapchatting an image of her stretch marks, Chrissy Teigen decided to give the photoshop a rest and keep it real with her followers when she explained during an appearance on The View: "I was actually just taking a picture of the bruises and then I saw the stretch marks in there. I have those apps, the Facetune and Photoshopping ones, and I just didn't feel like doing it anymore — and I'm never doing it again, because I think we forgot what normal people look like now." Leave it to the queen of Twitter to keep us grounded. In a time where fine-tuning photos of ourselves has become something of an art form, it’s a good reminder to hit pause and celebrate all those perceived flaws and imperfections which make us unique.

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Speaking with Good Morning America, celebrated tennis player Serena Williams held no punches when talking about how she steers clear of negative thoughts: “It's so important to look at the positives; if I get caught up looking at the negatives, it can really bring you down. I don't have time to be brought down, I've got too many things to do. I have Grand Slams to win, I have people to inspire, and that's what I'm here for."

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In a speech during her appearance at a WE Day event in the UK in 2017, Kate Winslet revealed her early struggles with school bullies, who would torment her about her appearance, calling her names like “blubber” and noting that the would-be Academy-award winner would have to settle for the “fat-girl parts” if she were to become an actor. From bullies to casting agents, the Titanic star learned to rise above the naysayers, telling the crowd, “I learned to embrace my flaws, to make no apology for who I am. I dug deep and I decided that I simply wouldn’t listen when they said my body didn’t fit. This is who I am, the real me, Kate from Reading.”

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In an interview with Harper’s Bazaar, the down-to-earth actress shared her thoughts on society’s misconceptions about “normal” body sizes. She said, "I would like us to make a new normal-body type… I think we've gotten so used to underweight that when you are a normal weight it's like, 'Oh, my God, she's curvy.' Which is crazy.”

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The multi-talented Jennifer Lopez may be known for her legendary abs of steel, but self-love hasn’t always come easily, sharing with W that getting older has been one of the biggest factors in her boosted self-confidence. She said, “I never appreciated my body or my looks when I was in my 20s. Now I’m like, Look at me! Look at you! Not in a conceited or arrogant way — I just appreciate myself in a way I didn’t when I was that age. And it’s not about perfection. I like the scars that I have.”

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Speaking about finding her joy and finally learning to love her body, singer Kelly Clarkson told Redbook Magazine, “People think, Oh, there’s something wrong with her… She’s putting on weight. “I’m like, ‘Oh, no! I’m sorry, but that represents happiness in my emotional world.’”

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Former supermodel Tyra Banks told HuffPost Lifestyle UK, “I’m trying to change the conversation… It’s about saying ‘Hey, my ass is amazing, but maybe my legs need work, so I’ll figure out how to do that.’ It’s about acknowledging and being honest about the parts we like and the parts we don’t like.” Bolstering your confidence doesn’t mean loving every part of yourself at all times — but it should mean finding more things about yourself to celebrate than not, and finding constructive and healthy ways to address the things you aren’t happy with.

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When discussing her struggles with dieting and body-image, SNL comedian Aidy Bryant told The Cut, “I finally was like, What if I put all of that energy into just trying to like myself and focus on the things I actually want to do as opposed to this thing that’s like a made-up concept? And I’m not kidding, my entire life changed after I did that. Within two years, I was hired by Second City; two years later I was hired by SNL.”

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A healthy mindset when it comes to self-love is rooted in accepting (and loving) yourself for who you are — not who you used to be (or look like), or who you aim to be in the future. This is a mantra that actress Anne Hathaway preached when talking to People in 2016, after having given birth to her first child: “I think shape is an ongoing thing in everybody’s life. So, I’m not trying to recapture something that was. I’m going with what it is now.”

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In an Instagram post from 2017, actress America Ferrera used her social media platform to share a revelation about self-love that happened with age, saying, "At 33, I finally understand that my body is a miracle! After too many years of criticizing, punishing, depriving, or neglecting my body for what it isn't, I'm attempting to love it unapologetically as it is!"

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In 2014, on her 33rd birthday, Meghan Markle took to her since-archived blog The Tig to share her thoughts on self-love and getting past the insecurities that plagued her throughout her twenties. She wrote, “I must have been about 24 when a casting director looked at me during an audition and said “You need to know that you’re enough. Less makeup, more Meghan.” You need to know that you’re enough. A mantra that has now engrained itself so deeply within me that not a day goes by without hearing it chime in my head.”

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In a since-deleted post from her blog in 2016, reality-TV royalty Kim Kardashian hot personal about the things that empower her when she wrote, “I am empowered by my body. I am empowered by my sexuality. I am empowered by feeling comfortable in my skin. I am empowered by showing the world my flaws and not being afraid of what anyone is going to say about me.”

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Hilary Duff is open about her body-image insecurities and wants to spread the word that our bodies are something to celebrate – not pick apart. In an Instagram post, she wrote: “I didn't always love my legs, but as I've grown, I've learned to love and celebrate myself just as I am. I began to realize that my legs are STRONG and they carry me. Every. Single. Day. Our bodies are amazing and something to be grateful for.”

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Jane the Virgin star Gina Rodriguez (who’s also been killing it on the big screen this past year) took to her Instagram to let fans in on her current mindset, in spite of her struggles with an autoimmune disease. She wrote, “To come to a place where I love the skin I am in and it isn’t defined by anyone’s expectations or limitations is beyond freeing,”

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Singer Ellie Goulding is a fan of living an active life, whether that means attending a Pilates class or taking part in a bootcamp workout, but none of that has to do with dropping pounds. She told Shape “I’m happy with my figure. I never intended or tried to be skinny. It’s just not my thing.”

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In response to post by one of her followers comparing her body to that of another Hollywood celebrity, Ariana Grande took to her Instagram to encourage fans to practice self-love, writing, “We live in a day and age where people make it IMPOSSIBLE for women, men, anyone to embrace themselves exactly how they are. Diversity is sexy! Loving yourself is sexy!”

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After giving birth to her daughter in 2013, Kristen Bell shut down any discussions surrounding her plans to lose the baby weight, telling E, “I made a commitment to not allow my narrative for the year after having a baby to be about my weight. I think that freed me up, and it made me less concerned with all the pressures that revolve around body image.”

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