Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively Discuss Social Media Trolls and the Dangers of Retouched Images: “This Isn’t Real Life”

With a combined 60 million Instagram followers, Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively are no strangers to trolls. And despite the fact that they have more than a decade of experience in the fashion, beauty, and entertainment industries between them, Hadid and Lively are still affected by the things trolls tell them. In an interview for the May 2018 issue of Harper’s Bazaar, covered by Hadid, the duo chat about learning to block out the haters and how they stop comparing themselves to other people on the Internet.

“Most of it is just nonsense. But it can still hurt,” Hadid said. “Nowadays, people are quick to say, ‘I used to love Gigi’s body, and now she just gave in.’ But I’m not skinny because I gave in to the industry. When I had a more athletic figure, I was proud of my body because I was an amazing volleyball player and horseback rider. But after discovering that I have Hashimoto’s [an autoimmune disease], I needed to eat healthy and work out. It was weird as a teenager, dealing with this when all of my friends could eat McDonald’s and it wouldn’t affect them.”

The supermodel added, “If I could choose, I would have my a* back and I would have the tts I had a few years ago. But, honestly, we can’t look back with regret. I loved my body then, and I love my body now. Whoever is reading this, I want you to realize that three years from now you will look back at a picture from this time period and be like: ‘Wow, I was so hot. Why did I feel so bad about myself because of some stupid thing someone said?'” To which Lively chimed in, “Or because you compared yourself with someone online.”

The The Rhythm Section actress continued, “It’s so important for young people not to compare themselves with what they see online. It’s our job as actors and/or models to be in shape. We have access to gyms and trainers and healthy food. And then on top of that, 99.9 percent of the time the images are Photoshopped. I’m guilty myself of being at a photo shoot and saying, ‘That looks terrible on me.’ And they’re like, ‘We’ll fix it.’ And you’re so relieved.”

“It’s my experience that your body will grow and change, and there’s always beauty in it, no matter what,” Hadid said, to which Lively agreed: “It’s fun to try on the trends and enjoy the fantasy aspect of fashion and beauty. But my dream is for all images to have a little asterisk next to them with a caption that reads, this photo has been retouched. Just so there’s a gentle reminder that, hey, this isn’t real life. Think of editorials or ads as a painting, an art form. I mean, that’s definitely not how we wake up looking every single day of our lives.”

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