The entertainment industry has always been a harsh place to exist when it comes to appearance. The beauty standards of Hollywood have long been strict and unforgiving, and can be very limiting and hard for celebrities to exist within. While strides have been made, Hollywood has a long way to go in terms of representing different shapes and sizes. The hard part about these impossible beauty standards placed on celebrities is that people around them hold them to these standards as well. Fans and media persecute stars for being too thin or too heavy, or for growing old and changing physically. But even worse, some celebs have even been criticized by members of their family. The effect this has had on them is probably worse than that of the opinion of strangers. To learn just how cutthroat it can be for Hollywood’s elite, check out these 6 celebs who were body shamed by their own family.
Jenna Bush Hager
Jenna Bush Hager is the granddaughter of George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush. She joined the “Today” Show in 2019, as a replacement for Kathie Lee Gifford. In an episode in 2023, she revealed that her grandmother shamed her as a teenager. Barbara would criticize Hager when she wore a bikini, and told her that she was too chubby to reveal her body. She said Barbara later apologized and revealed that she was repeating comments that her own mother said to her as a child as well.
Britney Spears
Most Britney fans know that she has been shamed a lot throughout her life in the public. But one of the most negatively impactful occurrences was from her own dad Jamie Spears. During the 13 years of her conservatorship, she was under the care of her father. “I was always being told I was fat and never good enough… The psychological damage from my dad and EVERY SINGLE person who went along with it [the conservatorship] will always be there,” Britney said.
Billie Eilish
When Billie Eilish came to the scene, she was known for wearing baggy clothing. As she began to wear more revealing clothing, many people started calling her a sellout. She responded by sharing that she was apprehensive about wearing form fitting clothing because she had been shamed about showing skin — specifically by her parents. “[Even] from my parents, [the] positive [comments] about how I dress have this slut-shaming element,” she said. “Like, ‘I am so glad that you are dressing like a boy, so that other girls can dress like boys, so that they aren’t sluts.’ I can’t [overstate how] strongly I do not appreciate that, at all,” Eilish said.
Zosia Mamet
Actress Zosia Mamet shared that she has had struggles with eating disorders, and has been open about how she healed. In an essay for Glamour, she revealed that her dad was instrumental in her recovery. She later revealed in a Glamour article that her mom contributed to the development of her eating disorder initially. “When I was hungry, her first response was, ‘Are you sure?’ I dreaded shopping. My mother would say to me, ‘Zosia, let’s look in the husky section,’” Zosia said.
Ariel Winter
“Modern Family” actress Ariel Winter shared that her mom was abusive to her — to the degree that her older sister Ariel fought for custody of her when she was 14 years old. Ariel said that her mother restricted her food intake, while also oversexualizing her at a young age.
Rihanna
Rihanna has been open about the struggles she has had with her father. He was open and casual about his past body shaming of Rihanna in a 2012 Heat magazine interview. “I actually thought she was a little fat the last time I saw her. But when I saw her at this year’s Grammys, I thought she was back to her normal size. I used to joke with her, ‘Robyn, [Rihanna’s first name], you’re getting too fat,’” he said.
Iskra Lawrence
British model Iskra Lawrence has had to deal with body shaming from the public and family alike. “I remember family members telling me you can’t wear those type of boots that cut off on your calf because your legs look too big and it makes your legs look fat,” she shared.
