Lili Reinhart opens up about body dysmorphia, taking down trolls in the process
Lili Reinhart has no problem talking about her mental health, as well as addressing trolls who criticize her. Now she is opening up about body dysmorphia.
When it comes to social media, there are as many positive individuals as there are trolls willing to criticize over every little thing. For Lili Reinhart, social media is currently a disappointment after trolls have taken to criticizing her on the way she looks (again).
After images from her recent photo shoot with Harpers Bazaar were released this week, trolls took to social media in order to attack Reinhart’s body and overall appearance. However, according to E! News, it seems that Lili Reinhart is not taking the criticism lying down. Instead, she is speaking out against the trolls and sharing her thoughts on not only mental health, but also body shaming.
In her interview with Harpers Bazaar, Reinhart explained that she looked up to Marilyn Monroe because of her curves and ability to embrace her figure, even though she did not have a waist that was only 24 inches. This apparently led to trolls deciding to call the actress out for the way she looks, pointing out that she doesn’t have curves or that fuller figure.
In a series of tweets responding to these individuals, Lili Reinhart made it clear that she knows that she doesn’t have the same body as Marilyn Monroe. Furthermore, she said calling her out on how she looks is hurtful, not helpful.
My body is not like hers. Thought that was quite obvious. Insecurity exists outside the limits of a certain dress size. You’re not helping the problem. https://t.co/23mH17imz0
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) July 3, 2018
Reinhart said this kind of trolling is an example of body shaming because it is “telling someone they don’t deserve to feel insecure because their body is ‘fine’ or ‘just like’ whomever.” In fact, she noted these kinds of comments as being a part of a bigger problem because it disregards the way other people feel, even about themselves.
Lili Reinhart called social media trolls cowards because what they do is “hide behind their phone and tell a stranger that their feelings are irrelevant.”
These tweets then led up to Reinhart opening up about body dysmorphia and other mental health issues that she and so many others face every day.
I hope this example helps show you a significant problem that’s going on today with young boys and girls. This is why people with mental health issues- depression, eating disorders, body dismirphia— sometimes don’t get the help they need because they’re shamed into being quiet.
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) July 3, 2018
However, it seems that even her examples and explaining how she feels was not enough to get people to leave her alone. Reinhart tweeted that she was truly “disheartened” by the people essentially telling her to get over it and be quiet, “as if my body dysmorphia is irrelevant because of how I look.”
The actress shared that just because she may not be as skinny as some people or as curvy as others, it does not change the way she personally feels about her body. She reminded her followers that “mental illness gets worse” when people are telling someone they do not have the right to feel the way they do.
Mental illness gets worse when people say that you don’t have a right to feel the way you do. That’s where we are dailing. Do not encourage this behavior. It is destructive. More destructive than you’ll ever realize. You may not understand someone’s insecurity- but respect it.
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) July 4, 2018
This is not the first time Reinhart has taken to social media to speak out against body-shaming trolls. Just two weeks after the second season of Riverdale ended, rumors began circulating about the actress potentially being pregnant.
Lili Reinhart took to Instagram to tell people that she was “bloated” and to stop speculating about the way she looks in pictures. She added she had no intention of apologizing because of the way she looks.
Back in May, Reinhart was open about having adult acne, and how it can make her feel extremely insecure. The actress said she was unsure when she will truly feel comfortable with the way she looks and she faces “major self-esteem” problems every day.
No matter what she is addressing, it is clear that Lili Reinhart is more than willing to defend herself and remind people that even she can be insecure about her looks. She may be an actress with an ever-growing fan base, but that doesn’t change the fact that she has her own internal battles to fight.
Related Story: Lili Reinhart is done talking about her love life and Cole Sprouse
Online body shaming is nothing new. However, it certainly seems to be getting worse. Lili Reinhart is not the first actress to speak out on the problem, and unfortunately, she is unlikely to be the last. We can all be the change by listening when someone — famous or not — speaks their truth, and we view it as valid, and not jump to criticisms instead.