Ashley Graham Stripping Down in This NSFW Nude Photo Shoot Will Empower Women of All Sizes

While today we may see Ashley Graham as a beacon of body positivity and confidence for women and young girls everywhere, she hasn't always felt that way about herself.

After stripping down for a beautiful nude photo shoot, she sat down for an interview in V Magazine with the fabulous Tracee Ellis Ross, where she discussed the important lesson her mom taught her about cellulite when she was growing up.

"I think I hit bottom around 18,"Graham told Ross. "I was disgusted with myself and told my mom I was coming home. And she told me, 'No, you're not, because you told me that this was what you wanted and I know you're supposed to do this. It doesn't matter what you think about your body, because your body is supposed to change somebody's life.' To this day that sticks with me because I'm here today and I feel that it's okay to have cellulite."

MORE: Piers Morgan's Infuriating Comments About Kim Kardashian's Cellulite Are Making Our Blood Boil

Graham also discussed when she first discovered cellulite on her body, and the brilliant lesson her mother taught her after she brought it up.

"I remember my first signs of cellulite, in middle school," she said. "I remember telling my mom, 'Isn't it disgusting? It's so ugly.' She pulled her pants down and said, 'Look, I have it, too.' And I was like, 'Gasp!' She looked at me, then at it, and just rolled her eyes."

"She didn't tell me that it's beautiful or ugly," she continued. "She just made it a nonissue. It doesn't define my worth. If women like you and me continue to preach that, then I feel like younger girls are going to grasp it and they're going to be like, 'Who cares!'"

Go Mama Graham! We love that she instilled those values in Graham at such a young age; with Graham's powerful media influence, we're so grateful she's carrying out her mother's values to change even more women's lives.

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