Chrissy Teigen is one of the most transparent celebrities on social media, full stop. From opening up about her “period skin” on Snapchat to posting makeup-free selfies, Chrissy isn’t afraid to get raw — and real — with her fans. And when the trolls come for her, you know she has an A+ clapback (or 60) in her back pocket. To call Chrissy authentic would be an understatement.
So when the topic of body insecurities came up during a chat she hosted at Beautycon, Chrissy didn’t hold anything back and admitted that Instagram and photo apps like Facetune have made her self-conscious about her own body — to the point of tears.
“There have been times I’ve cried to John, where I felt like I would just never have ‘that’ body,” Chrissy said. “I’ve definitely been really upset with… you know, everyone has a butt now, everyone has curves, and a little waist, and that’s not me.”
Of course, many of the photos on Instagram are heavily edited to look a certain way — but this doesn’t make Chrissy feel any better. “My old ass will go on social media, and I will look at the Photoshopping, Facetuning, and the apps — and everything that goes into creating what is now a hit Instagram photo — and I feel insanely inadequate,” she said.
This is an issue several celebrities have talked about. During her speech at the 2016 American Music Awards, Selena Gomez urged people to fully be themselves on social media. “I don’t want to see your bodies on Instagram; I want to see what’s in here,” she said while pointing to her heart.
But these are tricky waters to navigate. After all, there’s no right or wrong way to be yourself. If someone gets personal satisfaction from editing their Instagram photos with a cute filter, who are we to judge them? Truthfully, it all comes back to intent. If the editing comes from a place of, “This is how I want to express myself,” then it’s fine. The trouble only arises when we edit ourselves to conform to impossible beauty standards. That’s what (I think) Chrissy is referring to.
And it explains why she’s so refreshingly unfiltered on social media. “I’m in a weird phase where I’m jealous of those bodies, but I also really want to be cool with my own body,” she said. “I really want to be that person for you all, that says, ‘You don’t need that fucking shit’… I’ve been on shoots. I’ve been naked-to-naked with people. I will say that everyone has a stretch mark. Every time I see that other stretch mark, I’m like, ‘Girl, yes!’ It makes me feel better, and if more of us did that kind of shit, how many people would feel better?”
“You do you” is a tired and cheesy phrase, but it really does apply to this situation. Any way you express yourself — both on social media and IRL — is valid if you’re doing it 100 percent for you. That’s the key.
