The body positivity movement is going strong in Hollywood, with so many celebrities speaking out about toxic diet culture and the glorification of being thin. Singer Bebe Rexha has been an outspoken advocate for “normalizing” curvier figures, but the 32-year-old star recently shared some less-than-positive feelings about her self-image and how she was struggling with weight gain.
“So it is the holidays and I know we’re all supposed to be, like, merry and like, ‘Yay, it’s the holidays,’ which I am … ish,” Rexha said in a video posted to TikTok Monday. “I think I am the heaviest I have ever been. I weighed myself just now and I don’t feel comfortable sharing the weight ’cause I feel embarrassed.”
The “Say My Name” singer became a little choked up as she continued, saying, “I just feel disgusting, you know, like in my own body. I don’t feel good in my skin, and when I don’t feel good, I don’t want to post, and that’s really honestly the reason I haven’t been posting in the last year or so as much as I used to.”
These sentiments contrast with comments she made in June. At the time, Rexha posed in lingerie and flaunted her self-acceptance on TikTok.
“How much do you think I weigh?” she asked in the video. “No ones [sic] business. Cause I’m a bad b*tch no matter what my weight.”
She continued, “But let’s normalize 165 lbs.” The caption for the clip was, “Feeling like a bad b*tch today.”
That came after an Instagram post with a similar aim. In December 2020, Rexha posed in a swimsuit with the caption, “Thick thighs save lives.” The post said: “I WANNA SEE YOUR REAL BODIES. YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL. THICK. SKINNY. CELLULITE. STRETCH MARKS. FOLDS. SEND ME VIDEOS. NO PHOTOSHOP BULLSH**. POST ON TIK TOK/ INSTAGRAM AND TAG ME AND ILL REPOST #EVERYBODYISBEAUTIFUL #sacrifice.”
There’s been a massive push lately to “normalize” all body types and to downplay or outright disregard the benefits of weight loss. Rexha’s most recent statement goes against comments she’s made in the past. The singer also has feelings about ageism, which she shared right before turning 30.
“I recently had a MALE music executive tell me that I was getting too old and that my brand was ‘confusing.’ Because… I’m a songwriter and I post sexy pics on my Instagram and that’s not what female songwriters are suppose [sic] to do, especially for my age,” Rexha wrote at the time.
“I’m fed up with being put in a box. I make my own rules,” she continued. “I’m tired of women getting labeled as ‘hags’ when they get old and guys get labeled as sexy with age.”
“I’m turning 30 on August 30 and you know what, I’m not running away from it,” she said. “I’m not gonna lie about my age or sing songs that I feel will sell better because they sound younger. I’m gonna celebrate my age because you know what, I’m wiser, I’m stronger and TRUST ME I’m a much better lover than I was 10 years ago.”
Her post received a lot of support from fans and fellow celebrities. “DRAG THEM. 29 YEAR OLDS UNITE,” Taylor Swift wrote in the comments. “Amen mama,” rapper Ne-Yo wrote with two heart emojis.