12 Celebrities Who Speak Out In Favor Of Body Positivity

Jimmy Henton
Apr 06, 2023
Apr 06, 2023

Have you ever felt self-conscious about your body after scrolling through social media of famous people, reading magazines, or watching the Oscars? You are not alone. One study showed that constantly scrolling through posts, especially those that evoke negative feelings or promote a certain body type, can affect how you see yourself. Because social media is full of "perfect" pictures of "perfect" celebrities, it can be difficult to avoid feeling negative about your body.
While many celebrities support the ideal of slimness and persist in following the cultural ideal of beauty (relying on extreme diets and exercise or using Photoshop), others are defying these unrealistic standards and promoting body acceptance and self-love. They shared their own stories of their struggles with body image, as well as their journey to self-love and self-acceptance. Through their words and actions, these inspirational people have encouraged people to embrace and appreciate their unique bodies and share their own journeys.
So, from Selena Gomez to Anne Hathaway, here are 12 celebrities speaking out against traditional ideals of beauty and inspiring people to appreciate and cherish their bodies as they are.

#1 Selena Gomez

Source: © selenagomez/Instagram, © selenagomez/Instagram

Selena has always been open about the harder times in her life. Previously, she shared how she tried to cover and hide her scar from her kidney transplant. However, now that she has overcome her difficulties, she feels confident and proud of herself.

#2 Lizzo

Source: © lizzobeeating/Instagram, © lizzobeeating/Instagram

Lizzo has spoken about the body positivity movement. When it comes to some of the more suggestive photos she posts online, she said, “I love creating shapes with my body, and I love normalizing the dimples in my butt or the lumps in my thighs or my back fat or my stretch marks. I think it’s beautiful.”

#3 Jonathan Van Ness

Source: © jvn/Instagram, © jvn/Instagram

Jonathan wrote about how they like the term "Body Neutrality". Body neutrality is more concerned with what our bodies can do for us rather than with how they look. They wrote, “Let’s practice emotional and mental fitness because not being judgmental of our bodies and the bodies around us are the real key to body neutrality and a happier life. ”

#4 Rihanna

Source: © badgalriri/Instagram, © badgalriri/Instagram

In a Vogue interview, Rihanna talked about how her body changes over time. She said she embraces all shapes and sizes and that although she is not made like Victoria's Secret model, she still feels confident and beautiful in her lingerie.

#5 Mindy Kaling

Source: © mindykaling/Instagram, © mindykaling/Instagram

In an interview, Mindy Kaling talked about her exercise routine. Fitness and exercise have always been a part of her life, but she was hesitant to discuss them because she isn't stick-thin. “If you’re going to be talking about someone healthy and fit, you have to be a hard body with, like, a six-pack,” she said. She admits that's not how it works and she has learned to love her body.

#6 Anne Hathaway

Source: © annehathaway/Instagram, © annehathaway/Instagram

Anne posted a pair of jeans she had turned into shorts to fit her changing body on her Instagram. And she also shared about her pregnancy body. She wrote, “There is no shame in gaining weight during pregnancy (or ever). Bodies change. Bodies grow. Bodies shrink. It’s all love.”

#7 Hilary Duff

Source: © hilaryduff/Instagram, © hilaryduff/Instagram

Hilary posted photos of herself wearing a bathing suit and enjoying the holiday with her son. In the caption, she mentioned how magazines enjoy showing “celeb flaws.” She then said, “Well I have them!” She continued by saying that her kid, the greatest gift of her life, was given to her by her healthy body. And she also said that women should be proud of their accomplishments.

#8 Demi Lovato

Source: © ddlovato/Instagram, © ddlovato/Instagram

Demi debuted at a young age and she has been quite open about her mental health and body image struggles. In an interview, Demi talked about how they used to pursue perfection and realized that it didn't exist. They will now only concentrate on what is essential to them.

#9 Jonah Hill

Source: Invision/Invision/East News, Invision/Invision/East News

Jonah Hill said “I was always a bigger guy. It’s hard when you’re overweight to dress a certain way because clothes aren’t made for people who are overweight to have style.” He realizes that, regardless of his stature, he is the one who determines his unique style and that he is not obligated to be anything he does not want to be.

#10 Serena Williams

In a letter to her mom via Reddit, Serena Williams expressed how happy she was with her physique. Especially when she hears derogatory comments about her body. She wrote, “I was born with this badass body and proud of it.”

#11 Bebe Rexha

Bebe Rexha shared how she feels and shows her love for her body. The pop star wrote about how she attempted to emulate the thin pop stars she witnessed as a child, but that it didn't feel natural to her. Then she realized that she needed to do her best and go with her body's rhythm.

#12 Ashley Graham

Ashley Graham has always wanted to help change the way women think about themselves. In an interview, she talked about her difficulties when finding jobs because of being both too big and too small. She didn’t want to follow other people’s wants. She said, “This is my body. I’m happy with it. And nobody—nobody—has control over my body but me.”

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