Rapper, singer and actor Lizzo opens up about body confidence and speaking out in the mainstream
Presenter and activist Jameela Jamil got up close and personal with rapper and singer Lizzo to discuss body positivity in a new interview that aired exclusively on IGTV this morning.
The new interview series I Weigh Interviews was launched as a platform to celebrate inspirational and empowering individuals who contribute to the positivity movement on Instagram.
The series launched last month with Jameela talking to Grammy and Oscar award-winning singer-songwriter Sam Smith, where he came out as non-binary and revealed he had liposuction aged 12. He said the interview "completely changed my life".
In the second episode, Jameela sits down with Lizzo to discuss weight and body confidence, ahead of Lizzo's Glastonbury performance coming up at the end of June. She opens up about not having anyone in the media to look up to as a child, and would often fantasise of "waking up and being like Sailor Moon" because the only people she would see on TV were "light-skinned" or had "straight, blonde hair".
Jameela asks her what the turning point for her was, highlighting Lizzo's rise in the body positive movement on social media. The singer recalls a time she was dating a man who told her he showed a picture of her to his friends. "He said, 'I showed your picture to my friends, they said your face is great but your body needs work'. I was the smallest I've ever been in my life!"
She goes on to open up about having negative thoughts concerning her weight in the past: "I remember being like, I just want to cut my stomach off and throw it. Why can't I just cut it off. Not even plastic surgery, just right now get a knife and cut this f*cking thing off. And man (laughs) I'm so glad I didn't!"
Lizzo was approached by Oprah Winfrey last year to use the rapper's song 'Worship' in an advertising campaign for Weight Watchers. But she came under fire on social media by fans who view Weight Watchers as the antithesis of her body positive messaging. "There were people who were so disappointed, there were blogs and think pieces written, but I took it as a learning experience."
Following the interview, Jameela Jamil said: "Lizzo has been someone I've admired for quite some time, and it has been a joy to watch her rise. We have been starving for a voice and power like hers, and I think she's going to continue to shed light on the body positive community. I'm excited to bring this bold, honest, relatable and incredibly insightful interview from this incredible woman, to people all over the world. I wish she'd been around when I was young, but thank heavens she's here now."
Watch the full interview on I Weigh's IGTV channel here .