More than a month after she made headlines at this year's Met Gala, Kim Kardashian has responded to the criticism she received over her decision to lose weight to fit into one of Marilyn Monroe's iconic dresses for the event.
To recap, last month Kim revealed she lost 16lbs in three weeks so that she could wear Hollywood legend Marilyn Monroe's diamond-encrusted Jean Louis dress – despite the recommended safe and sustainable amount of weight to lose per week being 1 to 2lbs.
Speaking about how she lost so much weight in such a short space of time, the Kardashian star told Vogue she wore "a sauna suit twice a day, ran on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just ate the cleanest veggies and protein" for three weeks prior. Despite this, Kim insisted that she "didn’t starve" herself, but admitted she was "so strict."
After the Met Gala, she posted on her Instagram Stories that she couldn't wait to get stuck into a pizza with boyfriend Pete Davidson.
Unsurprisingly, Kim's weight loss comments divided fans and critics alike, with many people – including Riverdale's Lili Reinhart, who branded the reality TV star's actions as "f*cked" – calling out how triggering her words could be for those battling with or vulnerable to disordered eating.
In light of the controversy, Kim remained quiet, but has now spoken out against the backlash she received, telling the New York Times: "I didn’t do anything unhealthy."
Everyone's clicking on...
Defending her weight loss, the 41-year-old likened her actions to that of movie stars who alter their appearance in preparation for a role. "To me it was like, 'OK, Christian Bale can do it for a movie role and that is acceptable'," she said, "Even Renée Zellweger gained weight for a role. It’s all the same to me. I wasn’t saying, 'Hey everyone, why don’t you go lose this weight in a short period of time?'"
As for what she would have done if she didn't lose enough weight to fit into the dress, Kim added: "I just simply couldn’t have gone, which wouldn’t have mattered. It was just important to me to reach that goal." According to reports, The Kardashians star only wore the dress in question for her entrance photos (lasting less than an hour), before changing into a replica.
If you’re worried about your own or someone else’s health, you can contact Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity, 365 days a year on 0808 801 0677 or beateatingdisorders.org.uk.
