Jameela Jamil posted an incredibly thoughtful message to her Twitter account after online trolls went after Billie Eilish and body-shamed her. “The lows we have stooped to when we are bullying an 18 year old pop star about her body,” The Good Place actress, 34, began her October 15 tweet. The advocate went on to remind those reading her message that people who were body-shaming Billie were “forgetting that not only is she human, but there are children watching our behavior.”
She also mentioned that younger generations are seeing what’s being said online and they are “internalizing our words against themselves and others, learning from you how to make this world uglier.” Along with her powerful message, Jameela also shared an image that read, “anorexia has the highest mortality rate of any mental health issue you ignorant, callous, dangerous f**ks.”
Jameela’s passionate message comes four days after Billie was photographed out and about by paparazzi. Those who saw the photos began to fixate on the 18-year-old’s body, and number of haters quickly began to spew hurtful comments through online platforms at the Grammy-winning singer. After the photos went viral, Billie took to social media with her own powerful response.
Billie shared social media influencer Chizi Duru’s own video on her Instagram Story on October 14, so that her fans and those watching could clearly understand her message. “Y’all gotta start normalizing real bodies, okay?” Chizi said in the video. “Not everybody has a wagon behind them, okay? Guts are normal. They’re normal. Boobs sag….especially after breastfeeding. Instagram isn’t real!”
Billie has, however, used her far-reaching platform to be an inspiration for her legions of teenage fans, opening up about her struggles with her mental health, and standing up to bullies who tried to make her feel insecure. “You have opinions about my opinions, about my music, about my clothes, about my body,” her narration went in an online video she posted on May 26, featuring the singer shedding layers of her signature baggy clothes.
“You make assumptions about people based on their size. We decide who they are; we decide what they’re worth. If I wear more, if I wear less, who decides what that makes me — what that means? Is my value based only on your perception? Or is your opinion of me not my responsibility?”
If you or someone you know is suffering from an eating disorder, please call the National Eating Disorders Associations’ hotline: 1-800-931-2237.