It’s 2016 and, yes, body shaming is still an issue. If you don’t believe us, just ask Ashley Benson.
In a recent interview with Ocean Drive magazine, the 26-year-old Pretty Little Liars star opened up about her experiences in Hollywood. At some point during the interview, Benson, who is a size two, revealed that she once lost a role after she was told that she was too big for the part.
“I was just told I was too fat for a part,” she revealed. “I’m a size 2! I cried for 30 minutes, but then you have to let it roll off your shoulders or it could cause a serious eating disorder. A lot of people in this industry hear they need to lose weight more times than they should.”
The actress then went on to say that, though the experience was pretty troubling, accepting the criticisms that come with the territory of being a celebrity eventually made her stronger.
“It does make you stronger, though. Because if you let that affect you, you can’t be in this industry—you’d go crazy,” she said.
While on the subject of the dangers of societal beauty standards and ideals, she also makes in clear in the interview that she accepts all of her flaws and is against heavy Photoshopping.
“I saw photos from a shoot of myself just the other day and though, ‘What the hell? That doesn’t even look like me!'” she claims. “I was so disappointed. I hate to think that girls are like, ‘She’s so skinny! Her skin is so perfect!’ I have pimples just like they do.”
Head over to Ocean Drive to read the rest of Benson’s interview.