Lizzo just shut down body shamers in the most iconic way

"It may not be one person’s ideal body type, but [I'm] a body icon and [I've] created a modern-day beauty standard."

Lizzo
(Image credit: Getty Images for dcp)

"It may not be one person’s ideal body type, but [I'm] a body icon and [I've] created a modern-day beauty standard."

Singer Lizzo has spoken out about how frequently she gets body shamed in her new cover interview with People - and we're really here for it.

Calling herself a "body icon", the 33-year-old The Truth Hurts singer shared that she's trying to embrace her new-found self love and, in turn, ignore the negative comments she gets on social media.

The body-positive Grammy winner regularly shares nude photos, workout videos, and healthy recipe ideas on her social media channels and has always sung about self worth.

In her People interview, she said: "I think I have a really hot body!"

"I’m a body icon, and I’m embracing that more and more every day."

"It may not be one person’s ideal body type just like, say, Kim Kardashian might not be someone’s ideal, but she’s a body icon and has created a modern-day beauty standard."

"And what I’m doing is stepping into my confidence and my power to create my own beauty standard. And one day that will just be the standard."

A photo posted by on

She hasn't always been this confident, she shares, adding that she's had to "work hard" and "blaze a trail" to become the Lizzo she is today. (Her real name is Melissa Viviane Jefferson).

Continuing to discuss how her race is also a factor, she that she was "cynical" seeing how "America treats Black people and Black women", alongside anyone who doesn't fit into what society deems an "ideal" body shape.

She went on: "I was like, “OK, what can I do with this? How can I make the best of this?” I wasn’t supposed to survive."

"I wasn’t supposed to make it this far. I wasn’t supposed to be a millionaire. I wasn’t supposed to be a sex symbol. I wasn’t supposed to be on the cover of People, but I am."

"So how can I make this worthwhile? How can I make this not just a flash in the pan?"

A photo posted by on

Her two cents? Love who you are, be yourself, and ignore the haters.

In the interview, she shares her aims to inspire other women and help challenge the outdated stigmas surrounding weight. She said: "Okay, we all know I’m fat. I know I’m fat. It doesn’t bother me. I like being fat, and I’m beautiful and I’m healthy. So can we move on?"

Hear, hear.

Ally Head
Senior Health, Sustainability and Relationships Editor

Ally Head is Marie Claire UK's Senior Health, Sustainability, and Relationships Editor, nine-time marathoner, and Boston Qualifying runner. Day-to-day, she works across site strategy, features, and e-commerce, reporting on the latest health updates, writing the must-read health and wellness content, and rounding up the genuinely sustainable and squat-proof gym leggings worth *adding to basket*. She's won a BSME for her sustainability work, regularly hosts panels and presents for events like the Sustainability Awards, and is a stickler for a strong stat, too, seeing over nine million total impressions on the January 2023 Wellness Issue she oversaw. Follow Ally on Instagram for more or get in touch.