Jameela Jamil, an activist and founder of the body positivity Instagram movement I Weigh, recently faced backlash for her comments on Ariana Grande’s physique. Later on, she clarified in her reply that her remarks were out of concern, which people misunderstood.
Jameela responded to criticism over her remarks about Ariana Grande
In her comment under Charli Howard’s Instagram post, Jamil wrote, “This poor woman is possibly dying right in front of us. This outfit is designed to accentuate the thinness for discourse.” She also blasted her team, saying, “thoroughly irresponsible for not guiding her away from this deeply damaging image for her young fans to see so glamorised.”
Her remarks soon received mixed criticism from Grande’s fans, accusing Jamila of body-shaming the pop singer. Though some praised the actress for calling it out.
Addressing the criticism, Jamil wrote in a lengthy reply, “I feel extremely bad for Ariana having almost died of anorexia myself. And it was only due to the people around me intervening INSENSITIVELY once I willfully ignored (and sort of enjoyed) their careful concern, that I survived.” She added, “I don’t know Ariana and pray she recovers.”
On one of her Instagram Stories, Jameela Jamil argued that staying silent about the issue could normalize unhealthy body standards for young fans. She added, “If we don’t comment on her body, we run the risk of normalising that image to hundreds of millions of teenage girls, kids and even impressionable adults.”
After the criticism, Jamil clarified that she was expressing concern rather than trying to shame Grande. She stressed that she deliberately used the word “possibly” because she was not claiming to know Grande’s medical condition.
The controversy comes as Ariana Grande announced that she will step back from public-facing work after completing her Eternal Sunshine Tour. Her representatives said the decision follows “endless, ongoing public scrutiny” over her appearance and that she plans to take a well-deserved break.
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