Singer CMAT (real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson) has posted a candid response to some of the (utterly ridic) negative comments she's been receiving about her weight and appearance, following her performance at BBC's Radio 1 Big Weekend festival last week.
The Irish star told her followers via Instagram that she is partially finding it tough to enjoy her hard-won success, as it is "increasingly becoming tarnished by the fact that I would be allowed to enjoy it so much more if I was thin".
Typically, the singer pointed out that she would not comment and that she has kept social media apps deleted from her phone for the benefit of her mental health, but sadly the nasty discourse on her performance have still managed to reach her.
"I have had Insta/TikTok/Twitter deleted from my phone for some time now for the preservation of my mental health, but the discourse this week appears to be so large that it has still gotten back to me," she wrote to her 300,000 Instagram fans. "As such, I felt compelled to wade in and speak for myself!"
"It is literally so boring for me, a gorgeous genius, to keep having to yap on about how horribly I am treated because of my body. I would love to stop but I cannot because it keeps happening, at an accelerating and worsening pace as i become more famous."
Talking directly about her body, she added: "I am not being defiant. I am not choosing to look like this or weigh this much as some kind of punk rock act of liberty. I simply have a body, one that I would of course like to change in order to fit in and avoid all of this abuse, but I have had extreme difficulty in doing so.
Everyone's clicking on...
I don’t get a say in whether or not I want to be brave, I simply have to sit here and take it."
In response, fans and celebrity supporters were quick to hop in the comments, with MUNA singer Katie Gavin writing, "F*ckin love you and ride for you baby" and author Dolly Alderton saying, "You are f*cking amazing."
A fan poignantly added, "I’m sorry this utter nonsense, bullying, sh*te keeps rolling in. and I know the outpouring of love won’t completely put plasters over the wounds that you’ve had inflicted. but please know that you have so many who have your back, hold you up, and the bones off you and your art."
Jennifer Savin is Cosmopolitan UK's multiple award-winning Features Editor, who was crowned Digital Journalist of the Year for her work tackling the issues most important to young women. She regularly covers breaking news, cultural trends, health, the royals and more, using her esteemed connections to access the best experts along the way. She's grilled everyone from high-profile politicians to A-list celebrities, and has sensitively interviewed hundreds of people about their real life stories. In addition to this, Jennifer is widely known for her own undercover investigations and campaign work, which includes successfully petitioning the government for change around topics like abortion rights and image-based sexual abuse. Jennifer is also a published author, documentary consultant (helping to create BBC’s Deepfake Porn: Could You Be Next?) and a patron for Y.E.S. (a youth services charity). Alongside Cosmopolitan, Jennifer has written for The Times, Women’s Health, ELLE and numerous other publications, appeared on podcasts, and spoken on (and hosted) panels for the Women of the World Festival, the University of Manchester and more. In her spare time, Jennifer is a big fan of lipstick, leopard print and over-ordering at dinner. Follow Jennifer on Instagram, X or LinkedIn.
