Kelly Clarkson Speaks Out On ’13 Years’ Of Fat Shaming

Kelly Clarkson is speaking out after British journalist Katie Hopkins publicly criticized her post-pregnancy body weight. On Friday, Hopkins reportedly stated that Kelly looked “like she swallowed her background singers.” There has since been a surge of responses on the subject of fat shaming in defense of Kelly Clarkson.

Recently, Katie Hopkins added to her insults by appearing in a televisioned interview with Access Hollywood. During the interview, she expressed that she was not the bully that people have labeled her as because the term bullying is overused. But according to Kelly Clarkson, the word that has been overused in her life is “fat.”

Kelly Clarkson has begun to speak out about the fat shaming that people seem to think is a new thing. Reportedly, Kelly has dealt with being called fat for many years, at times when she had not been pregnant. On Friday, Kelly appeared on The Ellen DeGenres Show, where she revealed that she was surprised that people don’t know this happens to her often.

“I love how people think that’s new. Like, welcome to the past 13 years,” she explained.

As the interview continued, Kelly reminded people of the fat shaming she experienced back in 2002 when she starred on American Idol.. The then 20-year-old Clarkson was not at all overweight but was still criticized because she was the largest women on the television show.

“I was the biggest girl in the show too. And I wasn’t big, but people would call me big. Because I was the biggest one on ‘Idol,’ I’ve kind of always gotten that.”

Now, at age 32, Kelly Clarkson has recently given birth to her first child, River Rose Blackstone. Since then, the criticism of her body has seemed to increase throughout social media. However, Kelly Clarkson claims that she is still able to shake it off and hold her head up.

“I think what hurts my feelings for [other] people is that I’ll have a meet and greet after the show and a girl who’s like bigger than me will be in the meet and greet and be like, ‘Wow, if they think you’re big I must be so fat to them.’And it’s like, you’re just who you are. We are who we are — whatever size. And it doesn’t mean that we’re gonna be that forever.”

With her held high, Kelly Clarkson has taken a career turn as the new American Idol mentor. As far as the spotlight, Kelly says that it’s Carrie Underwood’s time to shine. But many say that Kelly Clarkson is and always will be the Queen of American Idol.

[Image via USA Today]