Body Shaming Almost Turned Jessica Simpson Into A 'Recluse'

While body positivity is getting more popular every day thanks to stars like Lizzo championing self-love over on TikTok, there wasn’t always such a backlash against body shaming of celebs.

One star who knows the hard truth of what negative comments can do to a person’s self-worth is Jessica Simpson. Getting deeply vulnerable in her recently released memoir Open Book, the author has made it clear she faced struggles while coming to terms with her body image and strangers’ opinions on her weight, outfits, and much more during her young life in the spotlight.

Now, the superstar’s momma is speaking out on what it was like watching her daughter face the brutal effects of body shaming in her heyday. On Wednesday’s episode of the Today Show, Tina Simpson admitted to host Sheinelle Jones:

“I have to be honest: To me the hardest thing with Jessica has been the weight. Because the way people judge her, it’s unbelievable. Body shaming is a terrible thing, and no girl should have to go through that — or guy. Period.”

The 61-year-old even revealed the situation got so bad, there was a period of time the singer didn’t want to leave the house because she was afraid of possible headlines. Wow… Tina remembered:

“Because of [the body shaming], it catapulted all kinds of different emotions and different things in her life too, you know? And then it made her want to be a recluse, in a lot of ways, and to hide out and not want to get out of her house.”

So sad! That’s no way for a young person to feel! And the 40-year-old has since said that this kind of pain can “stay with you for a lifetime.” Just another reason we need to nip body shaming in the bud for good!

Last month, the Irresistible singer opened up in her memoir about how getting called “fat” for wearing a pair of “mom jeans” in 2009 made her so upset she wrote in her diary:

“Today my heart breaks because people say I’m fat. Why does the cruel opinion of this world get to me?”

The world can be so cruel sometimes. We’re glad to see things slowly start to change, but with social media these days, the problems have also escalated in a lot of ways — like all the photoshopping that’s been deemed normal. And, y’know, mega famous celebrities going through MAJOR effort to remove less-edited photos of themselves from the internet because they don’t look “prefect” enough. SMH.

Speaking on the “wonderful movement for body positivity now,” Jess told People in March:

“I don’t think people always realized that there was a human being, a beating heart and working eyes with actual feelings behind those headlines and that words can hurt and stay with you for a lifetime.”

While she’s not totally over those harmful words, the former reality star suggested of her future:

“I spent so many years beating myself up for an unrealistic body standard that made me feel like a failure all of the time. I am still a work in progress when it comes to self-criticism but now I have the tools to quiet those voices in my head when they speak up.”

The momma-of-three finished:

“I believe in my heart that a healthy body and a sound mind-body connection are what’s truly important and help me accept imperfections as beauty.”

What even is “perfect” anyway? Live true to you, “imperfections” and all, Perezcious readers! Watch Tina’s full interview to hear more about Jessica’s childhood and her bond with sister Ashlee Simpson (below)!