The Most Body Positive Stars Who Hold Nothing Back

There is no denying that social media has consumed a large portion of our lives. While social networking services like Instagram have helped millions of users express themselves creatively (with users even making a living off of posting photos and reels), a survey found that it also had an adverse effect on young people's mental health. With roughly 58% of Instagram users being female in the U.S., the American Psychological Association found that scrolling through Instagram was connected with "depressive symptoms" and "body dissatisfaction." Most users know by now that Instagram isn't real life and "likes" can even be faked, but the impact of Instagram continues to give people poor body image. 

There are a plethora of beautiful celebrities, influencers, and fitness models on social media whose bodies and lifestyles can conjure up feelings of envy, but there are a few stars who should be applauded for using their platform to remind their fans that not everything they see is real. These celebs have used their power to remind women and men that they should be confident in the skin they are in and have spoken up about self-love and body positivity, even posting their own untouched and unfiltered photos to prove a point. These certain stars hold nothing back and want to put a stop to unfair societal expectations. 

Even though Serena Williams is widely regarded as the best female tennis player of all time, she still had to navigate the harsh criticism she faced throughout her life, with haters focusing more on the athlete's physique than their powerful serves. She once told The Fader when speaking out against her critics, "You have to love you, and if you don't love you, no one else will. And if you do love you, people will see that, and they'll love you too." 

Williams has since learned to leave the criticism behind her, telling Harper's Bazaar UK that she is "strong and muscular  — and beautiful," and has used her star power to speak out on body shaming and encourage young women to follow their dreams. She shared with People, "Too many times young women are told that they're not good enough or they don't look good enough, or they shouldn't do this, or they shouldn't look like that. Really there's no one who should judge that except for you, and in general, that's the message that I want people to see." 

Ever since winning the first-ever season of "American Idol," Kelly Clarkson admitted that she has dealt with trolls who criticized her weight. She told People back in 2017, "Even on 'American Idol' I was really thin, but I was bigger than the other girls on the show, so people would say things to me. But luckily, I am superconfident, so I've never had a problem with shutting people down and saying, 'Yeah, you know, that's what I'm rocking. It's fine.'"

Sadly, instead of focusing on her music, people have continued to talk about Clarkson's body, with Fox News journalist Chris Wallace having to apologize to the singer in 2015 after he body-shamed her, per Today. And, when a Twitter troll tweeted "you're fat" at Clarkson, she had an epic response, tweeting back, "...and still f****** awesome," per Billboard. Speaking about her body, she told Redbook in 2015, "I don't obsess about my weight, which is probably why other people have such a problem with it. There are just some people who are born skinny and with a great metabolism – that is not me. I wish I had a better metabolism. But someone else probably wishes they could walk into a room and make friends with everyone like I can. You always want what someone else has."

Clarkson is passionate about positive body image and once shared with Heat World, "I've just never cared what people think. It's more if I'm happy and I'm confident and feeling good."

Body images issues can be difficult on any gender and "The Queer Eye" star Jonathan Van Ness spoke openly and honestly in 2019 with "The Allure Podcast" about how the lack of conversation about male body image resulted in the star dealing with his own personal struggles. The actor, who revealed that he was HIV positive, admitted that he struggled with an eating disorder growing up as conversations about body images seemed to focus solely on women. He shared, "We talk about body shaming, body positivity, and what the female gender encounters in that realm. I think in the male side that is not talked about quite as much, and I know I was severely impacted by that my whole life."

The actor has his own "ideas of beauty" and in his memoir, "Over The Top," wants others to stay true to themselves. In his book's dedication, it reads, "Imperfection is beautiful. To anyone who has ever felt broken beyond repair, this is for you. If you've ever been excluded or told you were not enough, know that you are enough and beautifully complete."

Van Ness has opened the door for others to start talking about how both men and women struggle with body image, and that no one should have to feel like they need to conform to society's beauty standards.

Model Iskra Lawrence admitted that she struggled to find her place in the modeling world after agencies refused to sign her because of her weight. She told Self that while she was once "obsessed" with the number on the scale, eventually she knew she was doing more harm and than good on her body and mental health, and found her calling in plus-size modeling. Lawrence has become an inspiration to women all over the world and her ever-growing presence on Instagram where she shows off her stretch marks and unedited photos has made her a powerful person in the body positivity movement. 

To help others who struggle with finding acceptance with who they are, Lawrence created Iskra's Army, a campaign that helps teenagers work through their body image issues. She shared with Self, "Since I've come out about my struggles, it's amazing how many girls from my past have said, 'Do you realize I felt the same as you, Iskra?' How crazy that we all did and yet none of us talked to each other about it.'" 

One of Lawrence's biggest modeling campaigns is working with Aerie, American Eagle's intimates brand, and she shared with Good Morning America that looking at a photo of her from one of the brand's photoshoots has made her feel "confident and just happy in [her] own skin."

Rihanna has been a powerful figure in the body positivity movement and has paved the way for more fashion brands to start recognizing women of all sizes. For the singer's first Savage x Fenty lingerie NYFW show in 2018, Rihanna had women of all races, sizes, and even two pregnant models walk the catwalk for her line which offers sizes XS-3XL and bra sizes ranging from 32A-40DDD, per Bustle. The line also included a wide range of nude colors for every skin tone, barely-there lingerie sets, and everyday wear. 

Rihanna's size-inclusive brand is just one major move in body positivity. The designer made a huge statement in the fashion industry by showcasing her pieces on women of different sizes, including model Slick Woods who walked the runway pregnant and in one of Rihanna's stunning and more sensuous pieces in the collection. Plus-size model Raisa Thomas, who took part in the show, spoke about Rihanna's diverse show, telling The New York Times, "She's putting it on the map for people to be inclusive. Plus size, white, Black. It's good for young women to see different types of people in a fashion show." 

According to Health, Rihanna made even bigger strides in fashion when her Savage x Fenty Vol. 2 line in 2020 featured a men's collection with plus-size male models. 

Mindy Kaling admitted that at one point in her life she would forgo eating so she could look thinner when attending prestigious events like the Oscars. However, she told Shape that she's learned to love her body and embracing every inch of it, stating, "I would love to be the size I was when I was 32 or something, but I just refuse to beat myself up about it. I love to eat at restaurants, I love to eat home cooking, and I don't like restricting my diet."

"The Office" star's Instagram page is filled with messages about body positivity, including one where she shared a side-by-side photo of herself wearing high-waisted bikinis and captioned it, "IDK who needs to hear this but ... WEAR A BIKINI IF YOU WANT TO WEAR A BIKINI." In the second part of her post, she also shared a story about visiting her best friend in Hawaii. "And what I was struck about Hawaii is that everybody wears bikinis. It does not matter what your body type is. You rock a bikini. Because you're in Hawaii. And there's so much body positivity there that I, who was already really shy about my body, would wear bikinis," she said.

Not one to stress about her body, Kaling told Vogue (via Yahoo! Entertainment) that while she is "always trying to lose 15 pounds," she had no desire "to be skinny," adding that she is "constantly in a state of self-improvement."

Actor Jonah Hill got real about being body-shamed throughout his life when he wrote a moving letter for his Inner Children magazine. He shared, "I became famous in my late teens and then spent most of my young adult life listening to people say that I was fat and gross and unattractive. It's only in the last four years, writing and directing my movie 'Mid90s,' that I've started to understand how much that hurt and got into my head." 

After losing weight, Hill still had to defend his body and took to Instagram to clap back at the Daily Mail after they published a story of the actor surfing, while another photo showed him shirtless. He said, "I don't think I ever took my shirt off in a pool until I was in my mid 30s even in front of family and friends. Probably would have happened sooner if my childhood insecurities weren't exacerbated by years of public mockery about my body by press and interviewers ... I'm 37 and finally love and accept myself. This isn't a 'good for me' post. And it's definitely not a 'feel bad for me post.' It's for the kids who don't take their shirt off at the pool. Have fun. You're wonderful and awesome and perfect."

Continuing to spread body positivity, Hill got a tattoo on his back in August 2021 that reads "Body Love" and shared it on his Instagram.