Lily James has spoken out about her experience of being body-shamed while promoting her lead role in Disney’s live action re-make of classic fairy tale Cinderella.
At the time, Lily was placed under scrutiny by some media outlets and online commentators for her tiny waist, with some social media users speculating that her body had been digitally altered in post-production to appear unfeasibly slim (a rumour which the film’s producers strenuously denied).
In a new interview with GQ, the former Downton Abbey star recalled her dismay at being branded a poor role model for young girls. ‘The press were saying I’m a bad role model. I’ve always been healthy. I eat!’ she told the magazine.
‘I do have a tiny waist and quite big hips so it looks in proportion, you know? I have an hourglass shape,’ she added.
Speaking to the Huffington Post just after the film’s release, Lily defended herself against the media criticism, highlighting the unfairness of using her (and her body) as a scapegoat. ‘On one hand it’s upsetting, on the other hand it’s just boring,’ she said. ‘I mean, why do women get pointed at for their bodies? This whole thing happened and I’m constantly having to justify myself. I’m healthy and I always have been.’
The actress did, however, tell GQ that she often hears of fellow stars being asked to lose weight for roles, describing the frequency as ‘disheartening.’
‘I’ve heard that story. And you hear those stories all the time,’ she said. ‘It’s so disheartening, I hope it’s not getting worse, because people are talking about it and people are aware.’
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