Charli D’Amelio is opening up to her fans. The 16 year old popular TikTok idol took to her Instagram Stories on Thursday to reveal her struggle with eating disorders. Charli admitted that she’s “been afraid to share,” something so personal. However, she decided to open up in hopes that her story helps inspire those who are grappling with body image issues to seek help.
“It’s so uncomfortable to admit to even your closest friend and family, let alone the world”
Opening up about her battle with eating disorders, the 16-year-old wrote, “I’ve always tried to use my voice when it comes to issues surrounding body image. But I’ve never talked about my own struggles with eating disorders,” she began. “It’s so uncomfortable to admit to even your closest friend and family, let alone the world.”
“I’ve been afraid to share that I have an eating disorder, but ultimately I hope that by sharing this I can help someone else,” she wrote. While also including a link to the National Eating Disorders Association’s website, for those seeking guidance. D’Amelio continued, “I know disorders are something that so many other people are also battling behind closed doors.”
“I deeply and truly apologize. And I hope you know that I never intended to cause you harm”
The 16-year-old continued her message by apologizing to those she “unintentionally” hurt by using the song “Prom Queen” by Beach Bunny in a since-deleted TikTok. The song has previously been called out for its controversial lyrics, along the lines of, “Shut up, count your calories” and “Wish I was like you, blue-eyed blondie, perfect body.”
Charli explained that she created the video without realizing the “lyrics could have triggered” her viewers and mostly young and impressionable fanbase. “I deeply and truly apologize. And I hope you know that I never intended to cause you harm,” she said expressing regret.
Charli continued, “For anyone struggling with this, I know some days can be worse than others. But I really hope you’ll swipe up and get help if you need it. I need you to know you are not alone. Remember it’s ok to reach out and get help. We all need help sometimes.”
“Please don’t harm your health or well being to live up to these invented expectations”
The infamous song that Charli is referring to, previously came under fire a year ago for its controversial lyrics. However, the band explained in a pinned comment on YouTube that the track “is in no way meant to glamorize, encourage, or promote eating disorders, body hatred, or body shaming in any form.”
“The lyrics are a criticism on modern beauty standards and the harmful effects beauty standards can have on people. I wrote this song from a female’s perspective as I myself have dealt with insecurities and done unhealthy things in my past to live up to the American beauty standard. But this song is meant for everyone,” they continued. “You are worthy of love, you are beautiful just the way you are, and beauty is a social construct. Please don’t harm your health or well being to live up to these invented expectations, it is not worth risking your life over. You are already a Prom Queen, you are already enough,” the band wrote in their statement.
“Getting hundreds of thousands of hate comments per week is a lot to handle”
D’Amelio has previously spoken up about her body image issues and her struggle with body dysmorphia and “bad eating habits” while discussing cyber bullying earlier this year.
“Some of the most hurtful comments I read about myself online are, ‘She’s fatter than when we got her famous,’ or ‘She’s ugly.’ They don’t like the way my face looks for some reason,” she said in a video to promote Safer Internet Day in February.
“A lot about my body shape, my body type, which hits close to home because I struggled a lot with body image, body dysmorphia, bad eating habits. No one really knows that,” she continued. “It hurts for everyone no matter who you are. Getting hundreds of thousands of hate comments per week is a lot to handle.”
“It’s not your place to tell me if i’m losing weight or gaining weight”
In March 2020, she and her sister, Dixie D’Amelio partnered with UNICEF for an anti-bullying campaign. At the time, Charli wrote on her Instagram, “I’ve been bullied my whole life. That hasn’t changed this past year. I’m sharing my story because I know many of you have one too. Hate hurts. I have realized over the years that holding in all this hurt causes a lot more damage than reaching out to someone you trust,” she said. “No one can deal with this alone. We all need support.”
In April, the teen icon took to Twitter insisting people to “stop talking” about her body. “It’s not your place to tell me if i’m losing weight or gaining weight,” she wrote.”Why don’t we all just be respectful and understand that we should just be kind and uplift everyone instead of trying to bring others down and I’ve seen these videos about me, my friends and complete strangers but it doesn’t matter who you’re doing it to… It’s never okay and I feel like I really needed to say that I love you all but please stop!!”
In May, D’Amelio also spoke about dealing with negativity on the internet, saying, “I feel the more I talk about it, the more normalized it is for people to open about their feelings. If I’m talking about it and they know that this bothers me. And they are going through a similar thing, maybe at school, just showing people that it’s okay to have feelings,” she said. “It’s okay to not be 100% all the time.”
Rise To fame
Charlie’s rise to fame on the popular video-sharing app is like no other. Often touted as TikTok’s biggest star, D’Amelio, who was a competitive dancer, posted dance videos to trending songs on the platform. In less than a week, Charli gained more than five million followers. She was instant hit and quickly amassed a massive fan-base, subsequently becoming the most-followed creator on the app.
Charli was also a part of the collaborative TikTok content house, The Hype House, for a short while along with her elder sister and fellow content creator, Dixie D’Amelio.
The 16 year old has been associated with big events like the Super Bowl LIV halftime show and the 2020 NBA All-Star Game. She has also featured in Forbes and Fortune Magazines, that recognize young influential leaders. Very recently, Dunkin’ Donuts created a limited drink dedicated to the star based on her “go-to” order called “The Charli” in September 2020.
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