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Rihanna, Alicia Keys, Sam Smith, Serena Williams and more body positive celebrities fighting against society’s suffocating beauty standards

Amy Schumer, Channing Tatum and Rihanna are three celebrities that are part of the body positivity movement. Photo: Bang Showbiz

The body positivity movement continues to gain more and more momentum on social media and is increasingly discussed on mainstream media channels. So it’s no wonder stars like Amy Schumer and Sam Smith are joining in to help oppose society’s unrealistic beauty standards and empower those with marginalised bodies not shown in the media.

Here are 10 stars encouraging us all to love ourselves just the way we are.

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Rihanna

Rihanna uses her fashion and beauty lines to encourage diversity and body positivity. Photo: Bang Showbiz
No one else embodies self-love as much as the Grammy winner and fashion entrepreneur. First, RiRi impressed her fans with her make-up range, Fenty Beauty, that caters to all skin tones. Then, in 2019, the Only Girl singer launched her groundbreaking lingerie line Savage X Fenty, choosing models of all sizes, colours, sexualities and gender identities to pose for her and walk the catwalk.

Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys has been making public appearances without make-up for years as part of the body positivity movement. Photo: Bang Showbiz

The Girl on Fire hitmaker has not worn make-up for public appearances for years to educate people on her no make-up movement. Keys has embraced her natural beauty and shows it off in the hope of inspiring other people to do the same. On her album “Here”, she speaks about her new natural look and in the song Girl Can’t Be Herself, she explores how the body positivity movement is changing society.

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Amy Schumer

Comedian and actress Amy Schumer documented her journey through her first pregnancy on social media. Photo: Bang Showbiz

The comedian and actress documented her difficult journey through her first pregnancy on social media and ended her journey with some raw and natural photos of her post-partum body. In one photo, Schumer showed her body in a swimming costume with her young family on the beach. In the comments, Schumer told her followers: “I am loving my warm soft post-baby body. Grateful to be feeling so strong again!”

Sam Smith

Singer Sam Smith has talked about overcoming his low self-esteem on Twitter. Photo: Bang Showbiz
The body acceptance movement is important to people of all gender identities, as Sam Smith has also dared to bare all in an attempt to accept their natural figure. The Diamonds singer shared a shirtless photo on Twitter while on holiday with a caption that addressed overcoming low self-esteem. They wrote: “Feels so good to have my top off on holiday. Spent all my life hiding my body from the sun. The last year my skin has been soaking in that LIGHT.”

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Serena Williams

Serena Williams posed for unretouched photos. Photo: Bang Showbiz

The tennis champion posed for unretouched photos, which were published in Harper’s Bazaar alongside a personal essay. She explained that she wouldn't hide her voice or body any longer following her 24th Grand Slam when she was allegedly punished for being an “angry black woman”. She wrote: “I’ve been called every name in the book. I’ve been shamed because of my body shape … In short, it’s never been easy. But then I think of the next girl who is going to come along who looks like me, and I hope, ‘Maybe, just maybe, my voice will help her.’”

Emily Ratajkowski

Emily Ratajkowski recently published an essay on body positivity. Photo: Bang Showbiz

The model-and-actress appeared in Harper’s Bazaar to discuss her choice to portray herself as super feminine and that every woman deserves respect, regardless of her appearance. The essay was also accompanied by a photo, which showed the model with her arm lifted up to show her body hair. Ratajkowski said: “For me, body hair is another opportunity for women to exercise their ability to choose – a choice based on how they want to feel and their associations with having or not having body hair.”

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Winnie Harlow

Model Winnie Harlow, who has a skin pigmentation condition called vitiligo, has been an important figure in the body positivity conversation. Photo: Bang Showbiz

Winnie Harlow – who has the skin pigmentation condition called vitiligo – posed for the cover of the June 2019 issue of Vogue Arabia alongside another model with vitiligo, Shahad Salman. Harlow was originally viewed negatively because of her condition but she later became a successful model because of her unique body. The duo’s features marked an important moment in the spread of body positivity and diversity across the Middle East.

Sarah Hyland

Sarah Hyland has posted about how she adjusted her attitude and decided to love herself and celebrate her flaws. Photo: Bang Showbiz

The 29-year-old actress – who suffers from kidney dysplasia and endometriosis – is not ashamed of the effect her illnesses have had on her body. The conditions and subsequent treatments have severely damaged her skin, but the Modern Family star is grateful for her body. Hyland showed off her gratitude by posting a picture of her dimpled stomach on Instagram with the caption: “I saw this picture and HATED it but quickly readjusted my attitude and decided to celebrate it. Love yourself and be patient. We are all stronger than we think we are.”

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Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum has also voiced his support for the body positivity movement. Photo: Bang Showbiz

Hollywood heartthrob Channing Tatum plays the lead role in the film Magic Mike XXL, which you wouldn’t necessarily think would support the body positivity movement. However, the actor revealed the truth behind his killer physique and explained why men shouldn’t strive to try and look like he does in the movie, because it is not sustainable. He said to Reuters: “My Magic Mike body … lasts about five days, like when we’re shooting. You time it until that day and then you lose it immediately.”

Chris Pratt

Chris Pratt has opened up about how he used food for comfort in the past. Photo: Bang Showbiz
Chris Pratt’s weight loss and subsequent weight gain for his role in Guardians of the Galaxy received both heavy scrutiny – and praise – in the media. Chris was brave enough to open up on how he has used food for comfort in the past. saying: “I’m sure I can’t relate to what females go through in Hollywood, but I do know what it feels like to eat emotionally. To be sad and make yourself happy with food … I know what that’s like. It’s a vicious cycle, and it’s a very real thing.”

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Rihanna’s Savage X Fenty lingerie line launched with models of all sizes, colours and sexualities, Alicia Keys embraced natural beauty through her No Make-up movement and Amy Schumer shared candid pregnancy snaps on social media