Rebel Wilson has addressed the media frenzy around her weight loss, noting that she got more attention for the change in her physical appearance than for being in an Oscar-nominated film.
Rebel embarked on a self-proclaimed “Year of Health” at the beginning of 2020.
In a new interview with Australia’s Daily Telegraph, the 41-year-old actor opened up about how she’s mostly received media attention around her change in physical appearance, despite her multiple work-related successes.
“In 2019, I had, like, four movies come out, two which I produced and one, Jojo Rabbit, which got nominated for an Academy Award for Best Picture,” she said. “Yet I get more press the following year when I do nothing except lose weight.”
“When I was at my heaviest, I also had the most international attention on me,” added Rebel.
While the Pitch Perfect star seemed frustrated by the collective fixation on her body, she explained that she understands why the public was so drawn to it.
“People are so obsessed with [weight],” she said. “But I get it. Oprah is one of my heroes. She’s certainly struggled with eating issues, and I would always watch her episodes when she spoke about that.”
Rebel went on to share her contentment at having maintained her new lifestyle and learning to “manage” her past habit of “emotional eating.”
“For the first time in my life I’ve lost weight and maintained it,” she said. “So I’m more proud of that fact. It worked because it was the whole lifestyle approach and dealing with emotional eating. I’m not totally cured. I don’t think you can be. But I’ve learned to manage it — and it’s not by reaching for a bowl of ice cream.”
Just months ago, Rebel shared a candid Instagram post detailing her changing eating habits. Posting a photo of herself at a tennis tournament event, Rebel recalled being at her “most unhealthiest.”
“I know that I normally post flattering photos of myself...but found this old photo in my emails and was like: whoa!” she wrote in her caption.
“I remember this was when I was at my most unhealthiest — being overweight and indulging way too much with junk food,” she continued. “Using food to numb my emotions.”
She went on, “I look back now at that girl and am so proud of what she’s become and achieved. And just wanted to send out some encouragement to everyone out there struggling with weight or body issues or emotional eating.”
Months prior, Rebel had opened up about being treated differently by people since she lost weight.
In an appearance on The Morning Crew with Hughesy, Ed & Erin, the actor revealed that people wouldn’t “necessarily look twice” at her before but were now much nicer to her.
“I liked to think I looked good at all sizes and stuff,” she said. “And I’ve always been quite confident, so it's not like I wasn't confident and now I'm super confident. I think what’s been really interesting is how other people treat you.”
“Sometimes being bigger, people didn't necessarily look twice at you,” she continued. “Now that I’m in good shape, people offer to carry my groceries to the car and hold doors open for you.”
Well, Rebel isn’t the only Hollywood star who has recently opened up about facing overwhelming public attention after their physical appearance changed.
Elsewhere, singer Adele made similar comments about the responses to her own weight loss, which included intense scrutiny and being called a “sellout.”
In two interviews for her Vogue and British Vogue profiles earlier this month, Adele addressed how her body became heavily monitored after images of her at her birthday went viral last year, sparking a huge discussion around her physical changes — despite the fact that she’d not even addressed them herself.
“My body’s been objectified my entire career. It’s not just now,” said Adele.
“I understand why it’s a shock,” she continued. “I understand why some women especially were hurt. Visually, I represented a lot of women. But I’m still the same person.”
“The most brutal conversations were being had by other women about my body,” she added. “I was very fucking disappointed with that. That hurt my feelings.”
Adele went on to share that she'd started working out to help cope with her anxiety after going through her divorce from former husband Simon Konecki.
“Working out, I would just feel better,” she said. “It was never about losing weight, it was always about becoming strong and giving myself as much time every day without my phone.”
“I needed to get addicted to something to get my mind right,” she continued. “It could have been knitting, but it wasn't. People are shocked because I didn't share my ‘journey.’ They're used to people documenting everything on Instagram, and most people in my position would get a big deal with a diet brand. I couldn’t give a flying fuck.”
“I did it for myself and not anyone else,” added Adele. “So why would I ever share it? I don't find it fascinating. It's my body.”