“Love Island USA” star Melanie Moreno’s family slammed Ozempic allegations after fans discovered her old plus-sized modeling videos.
“Melanie is my little cousin and I can tell you it is her!! And no Ozempic,” the TV personality’s cousin wrote via X, the Tab reported Thursday.
“She worked hard to get her current body!!! She wasn’t insecure when she was plus-size[d], and she’s not insecure now.”
“People are allowed to change, grow, and become healthier without having to justify it,” Moreno’s cousin continued.
“Her confidence didn’t come from her size, it came from knowing her worth. Support women at every stage, not just the versions you’re comfortable with.”
Additionally, the reality star’s sister, Steph Moreno, entered the conversation when she wrote under a separate social media post, “Mel’s sister here.”
“Melanie has always had very high self-esteem, even when she was plus-size,” she continued, per an Instagram video.
Melanie’s family rushed to her defense after critics on social media alleged she took Ozempic, as she continues to not have cell phone access while filming Season 8 of “Love Island” in Fiji.
Fans also joined in to support Melanie, with one commenting via TikTok, “So yall (sic) hate a women for losing weight? Yall can say what you want but she worked hard for her body.”
“Damn this made me like her more,” one added, as another chimed in, “still tea.”
The bikini store manager’s fans were eager to learn more about her personal life and found a video of her rocking a cut-out pink swimsuit while walking the Pretty Little Thing runway for the 2022 Miami Swim Week.
Melanie previously got candid about her dream to become a model during a 2021 interview with VoyageLA, revealing that she dropped out of college to pursue her goals.
“I saw everyone heading to college and knew that was exactly what my parents wanted for me,” she explained. “And even though college wasn’t my number one plan, I still decided to go.”
“I loved being in college, I just knew it wasn’t meant for me and I wanted to give my dream a chance,” the Peacock star continued, explaining that she didn’t want to later regret not following her dreams.
At the time, Melanie shared that her stepdad’s passing pushed her to move toward her goals after she experienced her “darkest time,” including opening her MORE SPORT STUDIO business, a brand that brings “awareness to mental health through fashion.”
“I was then scouted by my now manager Elizabeth. My biggest dream since I was 10 years old was to be a model,” she said.
“The main reason I gave up on my dream was because I had this belief that I had to look perfect to even get into the business. I thought I needed a specific look or a specific body type. Little did I know I was wrong.”
“Love Island USA” airs every day except Wednesday at 9 p.m. ET on Peacock.
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