When Selena Gomez stepped onto the red carpet at the 2025 SAG Awards, her visibly slimmer appearance sparked a wave of reactions from fans. Many felt betrayed by the physical transformation of the singer and actress, who has come to be a symbol of very normal weight fluctuations and self-acceptance for many—and I think this sense of betrayal is something we need to unpack.
It’s easy to understand why fans might feel hurt or, at least, conflicted: Selena has been open about her body image issues in the past, sharing positive messages about her weight fluctuations as a result of medication and slamming commenters who body shame her. In a sea of already-thin A-listers who appear to have become even thinner thanks to the rise of weight-loss injections like Ozempic, Selena stood out as a figure who often represented a more relatable body type—a size that is far more common within the general population. Her presence felt like a refreshing departure from the increasingly homogenous beauty standards dominating Hollywood.
Essentially, she made many of us feel seen and represented in a space that is usually reserved for ultrathin women. Which is bonkers considering she’s always been a relatively slim woman, but hey—unfortunately that’s the diet-culture-steeped world we live in.
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Taking all of this into consideration, it’s understandable that fans may feel a sense of loss to see Selena visibly change her appearance.
It echoes the public reaction to Adele’s weight loss back in 2020 too—the singer made headlines the world over for her dramatic transformation, and fans, many of whom had long adored her for embracing her body and challenging beauty norms, felt this betrayal deeply. They spoke openly about the loss of another plus-size icon to the grip of Hollywood beauty standards. The same happened last year with Kelly Clarkson, who admitted that while she wasn’t on Ozempic, she was taking a medication that ultimately caused significant weight loss. And with Lizzo. The list goes on.
But while it’s understandable that these feelings exist, it’s crucial to acknowledge and explore the complexities behind these “transformations.” Ultimately, celebrities are human, and they live under the same societal pressures that we do, but these pressures are magnified by the intense scrutiny that comes with being in the public eye—especially for women. The culture of body shaming, unrealistic beauty standards, and the obsessive focus on appearance is hugely heightened for celebrities: Adele’s body was targeted in the press for years, while Selena’s physique is regularly being picked apart on social media and in comment sections. What’s more, in the world of celebrity, appearance can dictate opportunities, public reception, and even career longevity. Sad as it is, for many celebrities, weight loss is not just a personal choice, but a professional necessity.
We cannot fault Selena, Adele, or any other celebrity for the choices they make about their bodies. If we want body neutrality—which I know I do!—we must given women the freedom to make decisions about their bodies without judgement. This includes recognising their autonomy, especially when we don’t know the full context of their weight changes. Selena, for instance, has been open about her struggle with lupus, an autoimmune condition that can affect weight. While she hasn’t publicly commented on her weight loss, it’s crucial not to overlook the possibility that health reasons may play a role.
The bottom line is that celebrities don’t owe us a body that doesn’t change, and they don’t owe us an explanation when it does.
It’s healthier for us (noncelebrities!), too, to disentangle our sense of self-worth from the body size of another person. If we find confidence in seeing a public figure who represents our own body type, that validation will inevitably shift as their bodies change. That’s the problem with external validation: It’s built on unstable ground, and we cannot rely on it. True self-validation is always internal.
Of course, building and relying on internal validation is easier said than done. It’s hard. And it’s human to feel hurt or conflicted when someone we admire changes in a way that feels like a departure from what we connected with, and we shouldn’t ignore the emotional toll these pressures can take. We can feel hurt, and we can feel betrayed, but we have to be mindful of where we direct any feelings of anger, frustration, or disappointment. Instead of blaming the individual for their body changes, let’s focus on the culture that enforces harmful ideals and disproportionately targets women.
Because ultimately, this isn’t about Selena Gomez losing weight; it’s about a culture that continues to tie a woman’s worth to her weight. A culture where beauty standards are forced upon all of us, from everyday people to women in the spotlight. That’s the real fight.
So if you’re feeling betrayed or conflicted by these transformations, give yourself permission to feel that way. But don’t let those feelings define you or the women you admire. We all deserve to exist in a world rich in diverse beauty where our bodies aren’t our defining feature, and where we are free to change without judgment. We all deserve a world in which we are valued for who we are, not what we look like.
This story originally appeared on Glamour UK.
