Valerie Bertinelli hits back at body shaming in emotional Instagram post
Actress and Food Network star Valerie Bertinelli is taking a stand against body shaming.
In an Instagram video, Bertinelli got emotional after she said a follower told her that she needed to lose weight.
“If I could lose the weight and keep it off, I would,” said Bertinelli in the video. "But since I haven’t been successful with that my whole entire life at 61, I’m still dealing with it. You think I’m not tired of it, lady? Where’s the compassion?”
Bertinelli added a caption to the post, writing, “Aren’t we tired of body shaming women yet?!”
Her Instagram post resonated with many who started sharing some of their struggles with the Food Network host. Many celebrities also commended Bertinelli for being open about her experience.
“I love you. You said it yourself, you’re already enough AND whoever said that is hurting. Or not being shown enough compassion in their lives,” singer Demi Lovato wrote in a comment. “I’m sorry you had to deal w this. Here for you always.”
“You are gorgeous and glorious!” added Haylie Duff. “An inspiration to women everywhere. Block that hater.”
Bertinelli responded to those who viewed her video and said thank you in another post.
“I certainly don’t feel alone anymore,” she said. “I just wanted to say thank you.”
While many rallied behind Bertinelli for opening up about her struggles in a raw video, some on Twitter criticized her for promoting Jenny Craig in the past and contributing to “diet culture.”
She acknowledged her past role and admitted that it was problematic at the time.
“I have been buying into the diet industry my whole life and then I became part of the problem,” she wrote on Twitter. “So here I am today receiving karma of my actions.”
Still, Bertinelli’s fans have her back.
“We could all use a little more kindness and patience and grace, because we just never know what someone else is going through,” she wrote on Instagram.
