10 Body-Positive Celebrities Who Called Out Hollywood Toxic Beauty Standards

Hollywood has a lot of toxic beauty standards, and It’s not uncommon for celebrities to be body shamed, especially female stars. Lucky for us, many body-positive celebrities have taken a stand against these unrealistic stereotypes. Through their words and their actions, these body-positive celebrities showed us that we can love our bodies and all of their curves no matter what shape we are in. Their confidence empowers us to treat ourselves kinder and embrace our bodies.
So let’s see how these body-positive celebrities fight back against negative comments and show us everybody is beautiful in their unique way. Get ready for a boost of confidence!

1. Taylor Swift

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In her documentary, Miss Americana, Taylor Swift shared how the mean comments about her figure triggered her eating disorder. “[When I see] a picture of me where I feel like I looked like my tummy was too big, or someone said that I looked pregnant, that’ll just trigger me to starve a little bit — just stop eating.”
The singer also called out society’s toxic beauty standards on women, saying “Because women are held to such a ridiculous standard of beauty. We’re seeing so much on social media that makes us feel like we are less than, or we’re not what we should be.” Swift used to be uncomfortable speaking about those comments and how they affected her, but eventually found the courage in hopes of empowering all of her female fans.

2. Adele

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Adele caused a huge controversy and faced a massive backlash after her weight loss. Many people were angry because she suddenly looked “skinny.” She didn’t think about that too much though. In a 2021 interview with Vogue, the famous singer shared that she loved working out because it made her feel better.
“People are shocked because I didn’t share my ‘journey,’” she added. “They’re used to people documenting everything on Instagram, and most people in my position would get a big deal with a diet brand. I couldn’t give a flying f***. I did it for myself and not anyone else. So why would I ever share it? I don’t find it fascinating. It’s my body.”

3. Ashley Graham

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Ashley Graham is no stranger to hateful comments about her body, but the model never thinks about changing her body to please these people. "This is why I don't post like the 'perfect' Instagram photos. I keep it real and raw constantly because I want [people] to know that there are women with cellulite, with back fat, with stretch marks... There are a lot of curvy women, plus-size women, fat women, whatever you want to call them," she said in an interview with WSJ. Magazine.
The model also shared her reason to be vocal about her body, saying "I hate that I constantly have to discuss my body because I don't know any man that has to do that. But what motivates me to continue to talk about my body is that I didn't have someone talking about their body when I was young.”

4. Lizzo

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One of the most well-known body-positive celebrities must be Lizzo. She is the queen of body positivity! The famous singer expressed her love for all body types in her songs many times! Despite all the mean comments about her weight, Lizzo showed all the curvy girls out there how to love themselves and all of their curves.
The singers once post a video of her praising her belly on her Instagram, writing "I started talking to my belly this year. Blowing her kisses and showering her with praises. I used to want to cut my stomach off I hated it so much. But it's literally ME. I am learning to radically love every part of myself. Even if it means talking to myself every morning. This is your sign to love yourself today!"

5. Kourtney Kardashian

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Kourtney Kardashian got a lot of comments on her recent weight gain. The mom of 3 explained the reason behind her weight gain in an episode of The Kardashians, saying her Vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment caused her to gain extra pounds. She wasn’t bothered by it though, and even admitted that she’s “so into her thicker body.”
Kourtney claimed that she felt uncomfortable looking at photos of her thin physique saying, “When I’m super skinny, just know I’m not happy.” Kourtney also said that being extremely slim reflected her anxiety and involvement in toxic relationships. Thankfully, her husband, Travis Barker, was very supportive and he helped her to overcome her body issues. “Every day, Travis is like, ’You’re perfect. You’re so fine, you’ve never been better.’”

6. Channing Tatum

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Even though many of his fans love his body in Magic Mike, Channing Tatum admits that it’s not something that people should aspire to have. He explained on The Kelly Clarkson Show, “You have to starve yourself. I don’t think when you’re that lean, it’s actually healthy for you.” When shown a photo of his chiseled abs, he jokingly added that he didn’t want to do the third movie sequel because he “had to look like that.”

7. Serena Williams

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Serena Williams is a strong woman, and her strong mindset also applies to the hurtful body shaming that she receives. She must be one of the most fierce body-positive celebrities ever. The tennis star spoke about the comments saying that she was "born a guy" because of her muscular frame in an interview with Harper's Bazaar U.K. Instead of being ashamed of her body, Williams proudly pointed to her biceps and said, "This is me, and this is my weapon and machine."
"I've been called man because I appeared outwardly strong," the 23-time Grand Slam tennis champion shared. She then expressed her love for her body: "No, I just work hard, and I was born with this badass body and proud of it. […] I am proud we were able to show them what some women look like. We don't all look the same. We are curvy, strong, muscular, tall, small, just to name a few, and all the same: We are women and proud!"

8. Zac Efron

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Zac Efron wasn’t a fan of his chiseled body in Baywatch. In an interview with Men’s Health, Efron admitted that he never wanted to resort to the methods it took to achieve that lifeguard body again. “I don’t know if that’s really attainable. There’s just too little water in the skin. Like, it’s fake. It looks CGI’d,” the actor said.
He also didn’t want anybody to force themself to get that type of body. He spoke about overtraining, insomnia, bad depression, and suffering from the same three meals every day. After the film was done, Efron immediately took a break and treated his body better. It took the actor six months to feel normal again.

9. Sarah Hyland

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While many female celebrities have been criticized for being overweight, Sarah Hyland’s case is the total opposite. The actress has been the victim of vicious body shaming for being thin all of her life. One time an Internet user commented on a photo of her in a bikini saying "You look really unhealthy. Being that skinny can't be safe."
Hyland clapped back on her Instagram story, saying "I would like to put in a request for anyone who is concerned about my bread consumption to send it to Wells Adams because he is the sole person who knows about how much bread I consume on a daily basis. Thanks! Love you, mean it. 'K, bye."

10. Charlie Puth

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Charlie Puth is not the one to stay silent about body criticism either. One of his shirtless photos went viral in 2021, but he also had to face many mean remarks about his body. The singer clapped back in a tweet, saying, “Hey, just a very quick reminder that it’s not cool to body criticize anyone.”
This wasn’t the only time he spoke out against unrealistic beauty standards. The famous singer once questioned an ad that invited boys and girls to contour their bodies to look slimmer. He also encouraged his fans to love their bodies, saying “You are ONE of ONE and beautiful!”
These body-positive celebrities aren’t the only ones that stand up against toxic beauty standards. There are more stars who break the beauty stereotypes that society puts on women. Check out these amazing girls and give them the love they deserve!