Lili Reinhart is standing by her criticism of celebrities “starving” themselves for fashion, and in particular the Met Gala, even though she’s apparently getting attacked personally over her comments.
The “Riverdale” star took to her Instagram Stories shortly after Kim Kardashian made headlines for admitting to adhering to a strict diet wherein she lost 16 pounds in 21 days in order to fit into Marilyn Monroe’s iconic 1962 dress she wore to sing “Happy Birthday to JFK.
While Reinhart didn’t mention Kardashian by name, it wasn’t hard to connect the dots that Kim’s comments were at least part of the problem, as she was detailing it. And it wasn’t just Reinhart connecting those dots, as Kardashian’s fans apparently started coming for her.
Finally, Reinhart felt compelled to respond, posting a follow-up comment on her Twitter feed opening with a very pointed and deliberate “sigh.”
“I do not say the things I say because I want to be relevant or get attention,” she wrote. “I speak up because I don’t see enough people with large platforms calling out toxic behavior in our industry.”
She then acknowledged, “Some people will never understand where I’m coming from that’s okay.”
It’s possible, though, that Kardashian herself understood. While also not referencing anything directly, the reality star posted a cryptic message on her own Instagram Stories on Wednesday, as captured by The Blast, that appeared to allude to the backlash to her “strict diet.”
Reinhart wasn’t the only one critical of Kardashian restricting carbs and dieting as aggressively as she did in order to fit into a dress for a few minutes — she only wore it long enough to cross the red carpet to protect the garment from damage — not to mention then announcing she intended to binge on pizza and donuts afterward.
The topic quickly got Kardashian trending, with critics coming out on both sides. The noise got so loud that her personal trainer, Don-A-Matrix, got into the conversation, telling TMZ that she did in a healthy way and he was with her each step.
He described it as a “real balanced diet,” while admitting “at times she wouldn’t eat as much” and that she also “went to the gym and put the work in.” While Kardashian’s look wowed fashionistas, the efforts she took to get there were more controversial.
And so, people couldn’t help but wonder if this is what she was referring to when she posted, “Be teachable. Be open. You’re not always right.”
It’s good advice, but was Kardashian referring to herself with this message and the controversy about her Met Gala look? Was she referring to the fact her family just won their case against Blac Chyna? Was she responding to Ray J saying she’d been lying for years about how their sex tape was leaked?
Honestly, there is always so much going on in the world of the Kardashians that it’s impossible to say for sure what a vague post could be referring to, but it’s at least encouraging to consider that perhaps Kardashian is saying that she is still teachable, still open, and still willing to admit when she’s wrong.
It would be better, if this is what she’s alluding to, if she could admit such a thing more directly. Especially if she agrees that it could be damaging to her millions of followers, who might take it upon themselves to fast diet in order to fit into some garment or other, but perhaps without the guidance of a celebrity trainer to ensure it’s done in a healthy way.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please contact the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) at 1-800-931-2237 or go to NationalEatingDisorders.org.
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