There are more than 8 billion people on the planet, of different shapes and colors. But scrolling through curated Insta feeds or watching the live show of the day, it can seem like everyone looks the same. And this is a big disappointment.
“When only a narrow type of beauty is consistently portrayed, society begins to see anything outside of that ‘standard’ as undesirable,” explains University of Florida advertising professor Robyn Goodman, Ph.D. we.
Seeing an advantage to these beauty tropes can be a huge morale boost for the rest of us, says Virgie Tovar, body image expert and host of the GLP-1 Truth Serum podcast. “Seeing someone who looks like you portrayed with confidence and glamor tells you that you belong exactly as you are,” she says.
That’s easier said than done, even for celebrities who face the same pressures to be beautiful in prescribed ways.
Us Weekly celebrates the stars who are changing the conversation when it comes to body standards. “Body image and body positivity have become buzzwords and part of the cultural conversation,” said Lexie Kite, Ph.D. and co-author of More than a body: your body is an instrument, not an ornament, he explains in the last issue (…)
“Showing confidence in your own body can be difficult,” says Amy Harman, LMFT, CEDS-S, and author of Perfectly imperfect“but it’s really a success.”
Here are some of the stars who do:
The difference can be a superpower
As a contestant America’s next top model in 2014, Winnie Harlow it was a fan favorite for its unique look. But growing up in Canada, the supermodel, now 31, was mercilessly teased for her unusual skin pigmentation caused by vitiligo.
“I often felt misunderstood,” Harlow shared in a November social media post announcing her upcoming children’s book. Just Winniewhich tells the story of his childhood. “I wrote this book for any child who feels different, to remind them that not only are they not alone, but they are seen! I want children to grow up in a world…where ‘the ugly duckling’ is simply rewritten as ‘the beautiful swan’. Harlow is working to make that happen, gracing the covers of top fashion magazines and appearing in Fendi campaigns to Victoria’s Secret; she even has her own beauty line, Cay Skin. “We all have differences, but we are not defined by them,” she said. “We are a beautiful mix of all the things that make us, us.”
BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: “Owning your differences is a kind of superpower,” says Tovar we. “I always remind people: never let an outside source tell you how you’re supposed to be.”
Don’t forget your roots
British-Nigerian actress Wunmi Mosakuthe job in sinners it has made it the favorite of the Oscars. But with dark skin and a curvaceous figure, Mosaku, 39, once thought a film career was out of the cards.
“The theater would be my route because I see myself as I am,” he said. “I didn’t see myself represented on screen that much at the time.” Much of the discovery of her own beauty came from looking back at her lineage. Mosaku said her mother would notice familiar traits, such as a gap between her front teeth, and say, “Well, I have a little gap and your dad has a little gap and grandma has a little gap. What do you think of us?”
“And I’m like, Oh, yeah… I think you’re beautiful,” she recalled. Mosaku now proudly displays her roots, often wearing dresses from little-known Nigerian designers. “I wanted to feel like I was supporting people who don’t always feel seen in the fashion industry,” she explained.
BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: “Wunmi is a great example of embracing your body while honoring where you come from,” says Harman. “I love that it highlights designers from non-traditional backgrounds. We need more people to show up for who they are, embrace their genetics and move forward with confidence.”
Your body, your business
For Ariana Grandebeing pop-u-lar has a downside. While the 32-year-old Grammy winner wants the audience to focus on her charming performance Evil: For goodonline trolls can’t stop whistling about her weight, claiming she looks “frail.” For Grande, who got her start on Broadway when she was just a teenager, it’s sadly the norm.
“I’ve been doing this in front of audiences … since I was 16 or 17,” he said. “I’ve heard every version of this, of what’s happening to me.” Although it took a while, the singer has learned to tune out “the noise” from the embarrassing ones. “I’m very fortunate to have the support system that I have,” he said. “And just knowing and trusting that I’m beautiful.”
BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: Strangers don’t get to weigh on your weight. “We should be kinder and less comfortable commenting on people’s bodies,” Grande said, adding that people should do their best to ignore unwanted comments. “You protect yourself. Because no one has the right to say shit.”
Stand tall, whatever your height
Fans adored the 6-foot-3 photos Gwendoline Christie and 5-foot-1 Jenna Ortega to the Wednesday premiere of season 2. While both women are stunning, there were times when they felt like outcasts, not from the cool Nevermore Academy, due to their respective heights.
Christie, 47, was worried she wouldn’t have papers because she was “too tall” and considered making “more effort to fit in”. The game of thrones the star eventually went in a different direction. “I’m going to work really hard,” she shared, “and I’m going to honor who I am and all the weird things about me!” This tactic not only paid off, playing with Larissa Weems Wednesdaybut Christie put her own spin on the classic blonde siren and finally “felt beautiful on screen.”
Ortega, 23, meanwhile, admits that one of her unusual talents is being able to run in high heels, a skill developed because of “insecurity” about her height. These days, though, she’s just as happy to strut her stuff in black Wednesday Addams boots.
BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: To reach the height of your potential, you don’t have to stoop or break your neck in high heels. “Your job is to live your best life, to love who you are,” says Tovar. “Do your job unapologetically.”
Once upon a time, a famous person could lose weight at an alarming rate and say with a straight face that they did it by eating a balanced diet of smaller portions. Even though we regular people wanted this to be true, it gave us hope that we could follow his simple steps and reduce ourselves (…)
Build the life you want to live
turned on The sexual life of university girlsLauren “Lolo” Spencer plays Jocelyn, the life of every party at the University of Essex. In real life, however, Spencer’s doctors gave her a five to seven year life expectancy after she was diagnosed with ALS when she was 14. While the news was definitely life-altering, Spencer decided to “not let this or any statistic determine my future.”
In his memoirs, Access your drive and enjoy the ridethe actress, now 38, writes, “I built a life I wanted to live, not one others expected me to survive.” This includes voiceover work, fashion shoots for brands such as Tommy Hilfiger and disability awareness on his YouTube series. Sitting pretty. “I’m all about making disability fun and fly and sexy,” shared Spencer, who has been in a wheelchair since she was 19. “Because I’m funny, fly and sexy.”
BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: “When you rewrite the script, you often experience more positive self-evaluation, higher self-esteem, and greater body satisfaction,” says Goodman. we. “We learn by watching others, and women like Spencer help other women learn that ideals are fluid and self-determined.”
It’s okay to say no to drugs (GLP-1).
Since the advent of GLP-1 weight loss drugs, many stars, even those who embraced their famous curves, have been hitting the red carpet with slimmer figures. The jab diet is a trend Megan Stalter is proud to revert.
“It’s one thing (for) health, but there are a lot of healthy people in older bodies,” said the comedian, 35, who has been garnering praise as the star of the Netflix series. too much. “I don’t get it. I guess I’m just lucky to love my fat ass…I really love myself now.”
Stalter, who rose to fame with her Instagram Live skits before her scene-stealing turn as a talent manager Hacks —I haven’t always felt this way. Growing up in Ohio, he shied away from the spotlight whenever possible.
“(I thought) if I can get really, really small and quiet, maybe the students will hurt me less,” he said. Then he joined the drama club, where he found his people and his confidence. “I’m big about taking care of my body and being healthy,” Stalter said, “but I haven’t wanted to be skinny or lose weight for cosmetic reasons since high school.”
BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: “GLP-1 advertising is everywhere and it’s causing real damage to people’s body image and mental health,” says Tovar. “Advertising is clearly designed to make us doubt ourselves, but don’t let advertisers or drug companies write your story for you.”
The heat does not end with the hot flashes
Naomi Watts she was only 36 when her doctor explained that her hot flashes and night sweats meant she was probably “close to menopause,” causing the watchman star to freak out
“I was told I would never work again if I admitted I was menopausal, or even perimenopausal,” Watts, now 57, wrote in her 2025 memoir. Dare I say it: everything I wish I knew about menopause. “Hollywood’s endearing term for these women was ‘incomparable.'” Instead of lying about the changes brought on by menopause, Watts doubled down. In 2022, she founded Stripes Beauty, a wellness company that offers products designed to support women during this specific stage of life. Far from falling apart, his career flourished, and so did his love life: he got married gypsy co-star Billy Crudup, also 57, in 2023.
“I’m not giving birth, but that doesn’t mean my life is over. It doesn’t mean I can’t be a hot woman on screen,” Watts shared. “Women are experienced at that age, and they also know themselves, and that’s pretty sexy.”
BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: Women have no expiration date. “This age is really a time to invest in yourself,” Watts advised. “Now it’s my turn. What do I want to do? Who do I want to be? And what does it look like?”