Lizzo was “deeply offended” by how women’s bodies were discussed in the media during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
The singer, 37, made the statement as she reflected on shifting beauty standards in a conversation with Bill Clinton’s former mistress Monica Lewinsky.
Lizzo, full name Melissa Jefferson said on the Reclaiming podcast, hosted by Monica, after she said she once “sobbed for hours” over a cruel caricature of her — prompting Lizzo to reflect on the treatment of women in public life.
Lizzo referenced the scrutiny faced by Jessica Simpson, including headlines surrounding Simpson’s high-waisted “mom jeans” in 2009.
The singer added she now wears similar styles herself, describing them as “the only jeans that I wear”.
Lizzo added: “I’ll say first, the way that we talk about bodies in the media and the standard of what a thin body or a larger body is has changed so dramatically.
“Sometimes I’m actually, like, deeply offended by how the media talked about y’all’s bodies or talked about Jessica Simpson’s mom jeans.
“I don’t think this new generation understands how intense and how strict and harsh society is, and was, on women’s bodies — especially bodies that, by today’s standards, people would say present as thin or or smaller and wouldn’t put in the same category.
“I think that’s when — when I came out, people were like, ‘Wait a minute. We didn’t know they could get this big.’
“I had to be undeniable — like undeniably talented, undeniably beautiful, undeniably likeable, undeniably myself.
“Because this was all it took for them to want to deny me… they would deny me at the door based off my body alone.
“I think when my body changed… There were some people who were like, ‘Am I not allowed to be empowered anymore? Did you not love yourself, actually?'”
Lizzo continued: “When the truth is I really love myself to be able to do this.
“Mine came from changing certain habits in my life and so I can enjoy being in my body physically, and I think that you can only achieve that by loving yourself.
“Your body is going to change and you should embrace that change.
“Every single day, you change… You have to keep up with that. And that’s what body positivity is.”
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