Khloe Kardashian Breaks Silence on Photo Controversy, Reveals Her Unedited Figure

On Monday, an unedited photo of Khloé Kardashian was leaked online, and the Kardashian’s legal team went into overdrive working to scrub the photo from the internet. Tracy Romulus, the chief marketing officer of Kim Kardashian‘s KKW Brands, released a statement to Page Six saying that the “color edited photo” was taken of Kardashian in a bikini during a “private family gathering” and posted to social media without permission by an assistant. “Khloé looks beautiful but it is within the right of the copyright owner to not want an image not intended to be published taken down,” Romulus explained.

Kardashian posted an edited and filtered image from the same poolside gathering, and people were quick to point out the differences in the shots. Kardashian did not address the photo nor the scramble to hide it until Wednesday evening when she posted a video on Instagram as proof that her body isn’t always photoshopped alongside a lengthy statement explaining her issues with body image and how she wants to be publicly portrayed.

“Hey guys, this is me and my body unretouched and unfiltered,” the Keeping Up With The Kardashians star began. “The photo that was posted this week is beautiful. But as someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, when someone takes a photo of you that isn’t flattering in bad lighting or doesn’t capture your body the way it is after working so hard to get to this point — then shares it to the world — you should have every right to ask for it to not be shared — regardless of who you are.”

“In truth, the pressure, constant ridicule and judgment my entire life to be perfect and meet other’s standards of how I should look has been too much to bear,” Kardashian wrote. “‘Khloé is the fat sister.’ ‘Khloé is the ugly sister.’ ‘Her dad must not be her real dad because she looks so different.’ ‘The only way could have lost that weight must have been from surgery.’ Should I go on?” The Good American founder continued, explaining that she didn’t expect sympathy due to her life of extreme privilege, but that she hoped to be treated like a human being. She went on to explain that the standards that have been set for her by the public are often “unbearable,” explaining that it was painful for her hard work to be dismissed and explained away as surgery that she paid for.

“I love a good filter, good lighting, and an edit here and there,” Kardashian continued. “The same way I throw on some make-up, get my nails done, or wear a pair of heels to present myself to the world the way I want to be seen and it’s exactly what I will continue to do unapologetically. My body, my image, and how I choose to look and what I want to share is my choice. It’s not for anyone to decide or just what is acceptable or not anymore.”

“For those else who feel the constant pressure of not ever feeling perfect enough, I want you to know I see you and I understand,” Kardashian concluded. “Every day I am told by my family and friends who love me that I am beautiful but I know that it needs to be believed from within. We are all unique and perfect in our own way. Whichever way one chooses to be seen. I realized that we cannot continue to live life trying to fit into the perfect mold of what others have set for us. Just do you and make sure your heart is happy.”