Body-positive model Tess Holliday clapped back when a “slimming” app stole and altered her photos
It’s no secret that body-shaming and Photoshop tend to go hand in hand when it comes to celebrities’ figures, but here’s one lady who’s not going to tolerate it. This week, plus-size model Tess Holliday discovered that an editing app had stolen her photos and used them to show what the app can do by slimming her down in an ad, and her clapback couldn’t have been more perfect.
In case you’re not familiar with Holliday, let’s just say she’s never been one to subscribe to the beauty ideals that society pushes on us. Through her modeling career, she’s always been an advocate for body positivity, so it seems like this app definitely messed with the wrong girl. Need proof? Holliday’s Instagram post speaking out about the ad is everything.
Holliday shared a video ad for PipCamera Time, which included photos of her and other plus-size women being skinny-fied, along with a lengthy caption about why this ad is so damaging to the women who will see it.
“The fact that anyone thinks it’s ok to market this to ANYONE is appalling, but like, come on y’all,” she wrote. “Secondly, why is Instagram not regulating the sponsored content like this?”
Holliday went on to explain that no, she didn’t approve this ad, and that she would never partner with a company unless it was selling a product she absolutely loved and wanted to stand by. She also just so happened to mention that she’s got her lawyer on the case, but more important than that, she shared a message that’s so important for all of us to hear (and remember).
"Never let anyone make you feel like you need to alter your appearance or who you are," Holliday wrote. "You are enough. You are worthy of love in your current body, whatever that body looks like."
Unfortunately, slimming and editing apps like this one are always going to be around, and it’s hard to ignore society’s impossible standards of beauty, even if you disagree with them. But luckily, we have people like Holliday out there fighting against them at the same time — and she’s so right. No matter who you are or what skin you’re in, you are enough.
