Lizzo’s weight and body type have often stolen the spotlight away from her immense musical talent — and it looks like that isn’t changing anytime soon.
On Monday (December 13), the Grammy Award-winning artist found herself a trending Twitter topic after she shared a pair of TikTok videos revealing she’d just completed a 10-day smoothie fast. In one clip, she shows her progression from Day 1 to Day 10 and explains why she embarked on the crash diet.
“So I drank a lot and I ate a lot of food that fucked my stomach up in Mexico,” she says in the clip. “So I decided to do JJ Smith’s 10-day smoothie plan.”
@lizzoWatch me do JJ smith’s 10-day smoothie detox *cue inspirational music*♬ Thick – Chiller Tribe Mosy
But as the backlash ensued, with some women accusing her of being a “fatphobe,” Lizzo evidently felt the need to expound on what led her to take such an extreme route to lose weight.
“I did the 10-day smoothie detox and as you know, normally I’d be so afraid and ashamed to post things like this online, because I feel like as a big girl, people just expect if you’re doing something for health, you’re doing it for some dramatic weight less and that is not the case,” she said in a follow-up video. “In reality, November stressed me the fuck out. I drank a lot, I ate a lot of spicy things that fucked my stomach up and I wanted to reverse it and get back to where I was.
“I’m so proud of myself. I’m proud of my results. My sleep has improved. My hydration, my inner peace, my mental stability, my fuckin’ body, my fuckin’ skin, the whites of my eyes — I feel like I look like a bad bitch and I think, that’s it. I’m a big girl who does smoothie detox and I wanted to share that with you guys. I got exactly what I wanted out of it and every big girl should do whatever the fuck they want with their bodies.
@lizzoBig girls do whatever u want with your bodies!!! I’m just as proud of my results from my smoothie detox as I am of my belly curves and swerves ❤️♬ original sound – lizzo
Despite Lizzo’s best attempts at being honest about her decision to do the diet, people still pounced on her, sparking a heated debate on social media. Some claimed she had essentially failed as a role model for body positivity, while others chastised her critics. But as she made clear in her TikTok caption, it’s up to women what they want to do with their bodies.
“Big girls do whatever u want with your bodies!!!” she added. “I’m just as proud of my results from my smoothie detox as I am of my belly curves and swerves.”
Check out some of the mixed reactions below.
Lizzo doesn’t owe us anything and she’s absolutely free to do whatever she wants.
I think the disappointment lies in a lot of us (especially fat, black women) seeing ourselves in a woman who was so proud and confident in her body.
It made us want to do the same to ours.— Steph (@StephanieYeboah) December 14, 2020
“My sleep has improved (and), my hydration, my mental stability, my skin”.
“Every big girl should do whatever the fuck they want to with THEIR bodies.” – Lizzo
Thank you @lizzo for being an inspiration. Thank you for your music and flawless talent. You do you Queen! #lizzo pic.twitter.com/Ws8WGpfMDp
— Nick Ryan (@_nickryan_) December 15, 2020
please tell me how y’all bullying lizzo was body positive ?
— katholicism (@lesbianoverlord) December 15, 2020
This reaction to Lizzo reminds me of Rihanna having to clearly state that she does not seek to be the role model of your or your children.
Standom is always gonna fail folks, y’all. Always. These are just regular degular people with money and visibility and humanity.
— y’all don’t read ? (@anthoknees) December 14, 2020
I see why #Lizzo left Twitter all this toxicity and fatphobia when all she trying do is eat healthy and live her life pic.twitter.com/3p8SJZ1VUL
— Lashanda Walker (@majesticbeauty5) December 15, 2020
How tf are you gonna get mad at lizzo for making her own goddamn decisions? She is a grown ass woman. pic.twitter.com/IFpTuuQtvM
— Jay ⁷ ???ghostie ??️⚧️ (@WeirdoJayJay) December 15, 2020
The Lizzo slander is wild. People really get mad at anything nowadays
— H. (@howardjayy) December 15, 2020
i literally almost got a lizzo tattoo once,, very glad now that i didn’t. if it was her own personal struggle she was keeping to herself that’d be one thing, but to promote it like that??? definitely a betrayal when she’s one of the few i thought i could look up to ?
— jezebel ♀ (@feelsbl1nd) December 14, 2020
Absolutely genuinely devastated to see Lizzo promote a bullshit detox and showing before and afterwards. We’ve lost lizzo is the diet industrial complex. pic.twitter.com/VKKHyn9Hav
— Bella (@Bellaknit) December 14, 2020
I am a petite size person, I've been judged & body shame
Girl hear this ? "BE U, INSPIRED BY U, MADE BY U, & BLESS BY GOD"
F**k them all downless, soulless, gutless, worthless ass f**kers#lizzo go on girl, you got this!
Skinny bitches & big ass bitches got you back. pic.twitter.com/RUi7rYf3ui— lj (@contactme247hrs) December 15, 2020