Photo: Instagram/@khloekardashian
Khloé Kardashian has taken to Instagram to address a photo of her that was accidentally posted and deleted off the platform. The now widely circulated image, although completely natural in itself, is unedited unlike the other finely tuned and retouched photos that populate the reality TV star’s Instagram.
Kardashian has since asked her team to have the photo taken off the internet, a move that was met with massive backlash. Now addressing both, the photo, and her rush to have it taken down in a statement, the 36-year-old has opened up about her struggles with body image. “Hey guys, this is me and my body unretouched and unfiltered,” she wrote alongside a photo and video of her body captured in an Instagram Live. “The photo that was posted this week was beautiful. But as someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, when someone takes a photo of you that isn’t flattering in bad lighting or doesn’t capture your body the way it is after working to hard to get it to this point – and then shares it to the world – you should have every right to ask for it not to be shared – no matter who you are,” she explained.
View this post on Instagram
As a public figure and a part of a family constantly in the limelight for their appearance, Kardashian shared that she feels burdened by the need to look a certain way. “In truth, the pressure, constant ridicule and judgment my entire life to be perfect and meet other’s standards of how I should look has been too much to bear,” she continued in her statement before recounting some of the unkind comments she has received: “‘Khloé is the fat sister.’ ‘Khloé is the ugly sister.’ ‘Her dad must not be her real dad because she looks so different.’ ‘The only way she could have lost that weight must have been from surgery.'”
View this post on Instagram
While Kardashian says she is “not asking for sympathy,” the public’s reaction to her body image struggles is that “she grew up in a life of privilege” and has “signed up for all this.” She adds that she is “asking to be acknowledged for being a human being.”
Read Khloé Kardashian’s full statement below:
“Hey guys, this is me and my body unretouched and unfiltered. The photo that was posted this week was beautiful. But as someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, when someone takes a photo of you that isn’t flattering in bad lighting or doesn’t capture your body the way it is after working too hard to get it to this point – and then shares it to the world – you should have every right to ask for it not to be shared – no matter who you are.
In truth, the pressure, constant ridicule and judgment my entire life to be perfect and meet other’s standards of how I should look has been too much to bear. ‘Khloé is the fat sister.’ ‘Khloé is the ugly sister.’ ‘Her dad must not be her real dad because she looks so different.’ ‘The only way she could have lost that weight must have been from surgery.’
Should I go on?
Oh but who cares how she feels because she grew up in a life of privilege. She’s also on a reality show so she signed up for all of this. I’m of course not asking for sympathy but I am asking to be acknowledged for being human.
I am not perfect but I promise you that I try everyday to live my life as honestly as possible and with empathy and kindness. It isn’t mean that I have not made mistakes. But I’m not going to lie. It’s almost unbearable trying to live up to the impossible standards that the public have all set for me.
For over a decade now in photos, every single flaw and imperfection has been micro-analyzed and made fun of to the smallest detail and I am reminded of them everyday by the world. And when I take that criticism to use as motivation to get myself in the best shape of my life and to even help others with the same struggles, I am told that I couldn’t have done it through hard work and I must have paid for it all.
You never quite get used to being judged and pulled apart and told how unattractive one is, but I will say, if you hear anything enough then you start to believe it.
This is an example of how I have been conditioned to feel, that I am not beautiful enough just being me.
I love a good filter, good lighting and an edit here and there. The same way I throw on some make-up, get my nails done, wear a pair of heels to present myself to the world the way I want to be seen and it’s exactly what I will continue to do unapologetically. My body, my image and how I choose to look and what I want to share is my choice. It’s not for anyone to decide or judge what is acceptable or not anymore.
For those else who feel the constant pressure of not ever feeling perfect enough, I want you to know I see you and I understand. Everyday I am told by my family and friends who love me that I am beautiful but I know that it needs to be believed from within. We are all unique and perfect in our own way. Whoever way one chooses to be seen. I have realized that we cannot continue to live life trying to fit into the perfect mold of what others have set for us. Just do you and make sure your heart is happy.”
Read Next: Khloe Kardashian’s Style Evolution from 2010 to Present
