“Riverdale” star Camila Mendes agrees with co-star Lili Reinhart’s criticism of their Cosmopolitan Philippines cover photos, which were photoshopped to make the women look thinner than they are.
“I think Lili and I were the most shocked — we were the most shocked about the fact that they would [do that] knowing how much we speak about body positivity to our fans, and how much we love to talk about that,” Mendes told People over the weekend.
“That they would then manipulate our bodies when we are literally preaching body positivity is so personally insulting, and it’s also insulting to the readers,” she continued. “You’re spreading a false message about what people look like, you know? If my waist was that slim then great, do whatever you want, but it’s not.”
“And I’m so happy with the way that I am and I don’t think that was necessary. It’s never necessary to change your body. People know what I look like, I take photos on my own and I don’t edit them so people know. Stop trying to lie to people, you know?” she said.
In October, Mendes opened up on Instagram about her struggles with an eating disorder, and said that she was done with dieting.
“When did being thin become more important than being healthy?” the 23-year-old said in her caption. “At some point in my life, I allowed my obsession with being thin to consume me, and I refused to make room in my mind for any other concerns… I’m sick of the toxic narrative that the media consistently feeds us: that being thin is the ideal body type. A healthy body is the ideal body type, and that will look different for every person. I’m #donewithdieting– join me in this movement and share your story!”
Earlier this month on International Women’s Day, Reinhart slammed the outlet for altering the way she and Mendes look.
“Today is International Women’s Day,” Reinhart said on Instagram. “Over the last year, we’ve seen an unprecedented movement for women’s rights, and one thing is clear: our time is now. We are phenomenal, and we will make the world a better place for women. But we still have a long way to go. Our fight is not over.”
“For example: This is me from Cosmo’s February shoot. This is how my waist was photoshopped for Cosmo Philippines,” she continued. “This is Cami for Cosmo’s February shoot. This is how her waist was photoshopped. Camila and I have worked incredibly hard to feel confident and comfortable in the bodies that we have,” she continued. “It’s an every day battle, sometimes. And to see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is a perfect example of the obstacles we have to overcome. So we cannot stop fighting. Our battle has only just begun. We are f–ing powerful, beautiful, and strong… we aren’t going to hide behind photoshop to confirm to beauty standards.”
“That’s why I’m calling out @cosmopolitan_philippines,” Reinhart added. “It’s sad that you felt our bodies needed to be slimmed down. But Camila and I are f–ing beautiful. As is. And you can’t ‘fix’ us. So, like every other day, women… go kick some a-. You are being heard. You are strong and sensational. And I would like to thank the OG @cosmopolitan for keeping our waists as they are in their magazines. Also would like to encourage celebrities and public figures to stop photoshopping their waists/noses/arms/legs in their photos. It’s only encouraging an unrealistic body image. It’s adding to the problem.”
See the images below.
