In a new piece for Lena Dunham’s Lenny Letter, Ashley Graham has spoken frankly about the abuse she receives about her body on Instagram. The model, designer and body-positive activist has written an open letter, aptly titled ‘Shamed If I Do, Shamed If I Don't’, in which she speaks about how she is inundated with criticism - regardless of her size - and she’s sick of it.
‘To some I'm too curvy. To others I'm too tall, too busty, too loud, and, now, too small — too much, but at the same time not enough. When I post a photo from a "good angle," I receive criticism for looking smaller and selling out. When I post photos showing my cellulite, stretch marks, and rolls, I'm accused of promoting obesity. The cycle of body-shaming needs to end. I'm over it.’
The letter came about after Graham posted a photo of herself on the set of America’s Next Top Model, calling it ‘one of those photos where you look and say to yourself, 'YESSSS, HONEY! I look damn good!’
Unfortunately her followers did not feel the same, infuriatingly hitting back with hateful comments about her looking slimmer such as ‘I am so disappointed in you’, and ‘You used to be a role model and I looked up to you.’
‘I’m a confident woman with thick skin, and as a model in the public eye, I’m conditioned to accept criticism. But last week, I admit that I had a tougher time brushing off the haters,’ Graham wrote. Speaking about the photo in question she made clear that she hadn't lost weight, but it was beside the point. "If I did want to lose weight, it would be no one’s decision but my own."
While Graham has devoted a lot of her time to campaigning for body positivity she says her body does not represent her. “I am more than my measurements. I'm not Ashley Graham just because I'm curvy,” she wrote.
Read her letter in full here.
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