Ashley Graham Speaks out About Alleged Weight Loss Rumors

Ashley Graham is addressing those pesky weightless rumors and critics who have skinny shamed her.

Appearing as Glamour‘s digital cover girl for November, the 31-year-old supermodel opened up in the exclusive about the backlash she received from critics who claim that she looked as though she has lost weight following an Instagram post in October.

“Loved talking at the [Forces of Fashion] panel with [Vogue Magazine],” Graham captioned the controversial post, which showed her wearing a red, green, and yellow dress.

“It sucked that everybody had to go in on me like, ‘Oh, you lost so much weight.’ If these people actually knew me — which, you know, they don’t and maybe never will — they would know that my body just hasn’t changed,” she told the publication. “To be completely honest, I’ve gained weight in the last five years, not lost weight. If you actually look at my IMG Polaroids from when I first signed with them to now, you can tell I’m thicker. I mean, it’s just age. Geez. Whatever!”

In her October post, Graham had been blasted for her apparent weight loss, with some accusing her of having given in to the pressure to lose weight. Some people even wondered at the time if she was still classed plus-size. One person commented with their concern regarding her weight, writing “Ashley’s the most popular ‘plus sized’ model today, and if the most represented plus size model isn’t truly plus size, then hat’s a sad reflection on a whole group of plus size women that already don’t see a lot of representation for themselves.”

The model admitted that despite the hurtful comments, he continues to read the comments on Instagram.

“There will be one or two every once in a while, where it’ll sting,” Graham said. “I’ll be like, Why did they say that? That is so rude. Did their mother and father just not teach them that if you have nothing good to say don’t say it at all? …You know, sometimes I write them back — like, one guy said to me, ‘Oh, you look pregnant,’ and I wrote back, ‘Oh no, honey, that’s just fat.’”

Graham has frequently been criticized for her figure. After posting workout videos, some fans accused her of exercising to lose weight so that she would no longer be classified as a plus-size model. Graham, however, dispelled those rumors by stating that she exercises to feel good, to feel energized, and to be healthy.