I think everyone has a celebrity nemesis and mine is actually not Camila Cabello because that would be giving her too much credit, but she irks me. Even before I became aware of her racist past, I didn’t like her vibe or her bangs/forehead situation and I didn’t see the appeal or understand why she was being pushed so hard.
But I did feel bad to learn that she’s been pretty consistently body-shamed over the past couple of years, usually after being papped at the beach/pool. She’s spoken out about it before (the Tik Tok video was painful for me), and again just last month. Camila was photographed in a bikini at the beach in Miami and then wrote about body image and what she was thinking at the time. In a wide-ranging exclusive with People, Camila talked about body image and what led her to write that post.
Cabello feels far more grounded these days, but she still faces difficult moments. Last month, she posted a lengthy note to social media about getting photographed by paparazzi during private beach trips in her native Miami and the uncomfortable toll it takes on her mental health and body image. Fans responded positively, though the message was difficult for the musician to share.
“I hesitated because I think it’s vulnerable to post behind the scenes things like that,” explains Cabello. “I also recognize the immense privilege I have and the life I live, so there’s always a risk that I’m like, ‘Are people just going to think I’m whining?'”
“People can often look at these pictures of celebrities and want to change their diet or aspire to that,” she continues. “I thought it was important for me to be like, ‘Hey, this isn’t necessarily something to aspire to. I might look a certain way, but I’ve had a really s—ty time, and that’s not a good way to be.”
Cabello’s also aware that opening up about such hardships doesn’t eradicate them, but she hopes to help others by letting them know what an A-list, red carpet-walking celebrity like her is really feeling behind closed doors. “I don’t have a solution for it, and I struggle with it all the time, even after that post. At the Met [Gala], I struggled with it too,” she says. “It’s an ever-present struggle, and I think a lot of women feel that way.”
Someone at her beach club is definitely tipping off the photogs, right? Camilia was definitely very vulnerable in her Instagram post and it was so specific that even I felt I could relate to her and I don’t like her. I typically feel self-conscious being photographed in a bikini and few people, if any, will see those pics. But Camila’s pics are splashed across the pages of various tabloids who post every angle and then find a million ways to make veiled barbs at her size and speculate on whether or not it affects her relationship. Seriously, that was in one of the articles: that Shawn Mendes “clearly didn’t have a problem with her figure” as if he or the rest of us should. Gross! What she says about our culture’s narrow view of what women should look like is spot on and celebs are held to an even more unattainable standard. She looks like a totally normal woman and only in celeb world is that a problem.
I think she was also right to point out that celeb bodies aren’t “necessarily something to aspire to” and that it’s hard to look the way they’re expected to. A lot of them play it off like they work out a little bit and just eat what they want, but few admit how much effort and restriction goes into looking the way they do. I thought what Kim did for the Marilyn dress was ridiculous, but at least in that case she was kind of honest about the work that entailed. (I think she left out a big part of what it took, but the diet and exercise was realistic). Or the celebs that post decadent food pics all the time and you know they only took a tiny bite, if that. I definitely don’t look at pictures of celebrities and want to change my diet like Camila says, because it seems likely that despite all the access celebs have to amazing food, they don’t get to actually eat much of it. I remember reading a “Grub Street Diet” for Lauren Graham and a few times she mentioned only eating half of her food and said “because, you know, actor;” and I thought that was refreshingly honest even though I felt sorry she couldn’t just finish her meal.
Photos credit: Avalon.red and via Instagram
She seems to be dealing with normal 20s issues? Which is incidentally why you couldn’t pay me to go back to that age because everything is such an issue. Also her problem seems less with her body and more with the fact that she is constantly being papped while living in that body?
Maybe it’s harsh but this is the deal you make when joining an industry run on superficiality. I mean she *is* the product she is selling. She is essentially getting paid to look a certain way and sell something. If she wants to change that brand it is on her. The industry is not lying about what it takes. It’s the participants who for some reason think they have to make it look easy and achievable because they’re afraid to not be relatable or whatever.
So good on her for writing this down but also: Go post some unedited pics on your insta then.
I thought she was a singer—is she a model, too? What is she selling besides her music? Asking honestly, as my only contact with her before this post was last fall, when I watched the vax concert in New York that Harry & Meg spoke at. She performed with Shawn Mendez and I thought she was adorable—great voice, fun energy, good moves, positive vibe.
Yeah, this is an unfortunate side effect of working a job where nearly all of what you are selling is your own image.
A lot of people think modeling seems like a fun and glamorous profession, but you couldn’t pay me enough to model (even if I had the height and body for it, which I don’t). I would just never be happy knowing that the only thing I have to offer is my appearance.
I do feel for her, or I WANT to feel for her but I dislike her so much. I do hope that she doesn’t allow nasty people to define who she is and how she views her body. She really should look inward and see how she has hurt people with her racist talk too. I don’t think she’s dealt with that properly.
Yeahhh, we are not taking advices from racist chicks…
WORD.
Can not stand this hypocrite. She talks out of both sides of her neck all the time. She pursued a career in music wanting to be famous and very much benefitted from her looks when she was in Fifth Harmony. That’s the reason she became the breakout star of the group because she was not even close to holding a note. Now that she’s gained weight & gotten older, people don’t think it’s so cute that she walks around looking like a slob every day. She preaches body positivity but edits her photos. She constantly whines about how hard it is to be judged for her body but she wears outfits that bring attention to her in unflattering ways. She wants to be a victim so bad but she’s just annoying.
Yes to all of that. And when she will decide to work out/lose weight, she will happely grace the covers of fashion/fitness mags as if nothing had happened.
It will be: “Body positivity who? Where?”.
Amen! Everything you said! And since when is she considered A list? That was the most ridiculous part of that entire story.
I remember seeing some pap photos and I thought she looked good! I’m guessing she looks better than most of the people criticizing her anyways. I kind of remember the racist stuff but all the links just keep taking me to other links without saying what exactly she said but sounds pretty bad. Young people can say dumb stuff and now with SM we can all find it. Couldn’t she have deleted that crap at some point? I hope she realizes it really is wrong to be racist and isn’t just posting PR apologies.
I’ve been a fifth harmony fan since the beginning Camilla was push as the star of the group since one day . Camilla never had the best voice or the best dance skills but because she look innocent white passing she given the most lead in all the songs she played the innocent card while her fans attack Normani for years with the most racist attacks . While Camilla continue to acted innocent while having her mangers and her fans continued to attack the group members . Camilla fans still to this day attack Normani and the other members of the group . Camilla Music is not selling like it did when she first came out Olivia and Billie are the two biggest stars out there right now .
Yes, she absolutely cannot compete with Billie or Olivia. She will vanish from the music scene soon.
I know nothing of her nor her music or reputation. I do know what it’s like to be in my 20s, and at the beach. As you get older, you take a good luck at other people on the beach–it’s not just the 7yos enjoying the beach, it’s everyone, all ages, body sizes/types. Life is meant to be lived, and going to the beach when you have the opportunity is a very enjoyable part. Forget what you look like & simply be. Enjoy. Have fun!
In her Cinderella film it bugged me that she looked so sleepy. I think her eyelids and the skin under her eyes are droopy?