On Thursday, "Riverdale" season 2 stars Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes called out Cosmopolitan Philippines for editing their photos from the magazine's US counterpart, dramatically trimming their waists to appear smaller.
Comparing the retouched images to the original on her Instagram story, Reinhart criticized the magazine for feeling the need to change the way their bodies look. The distorted photos came to the actress' attention coincidentally on International Women's Day, leading her to note how the world still has a long way to go in fully instilling self-love and body positivity.
"Camila and I have worked incredibly hard to feel confident and comfortable in the bodies that we have," Reinhart explained. "We are f—ing powerful, beautiful, and strong... we aren't going to hide behind photoshop to confirm to beauty standards."
Reinhart went on to firmly condemn digital manipulation to perpetuate "unrealistic body standards," slamming Cosmopolitan Philippines but thanking the American edition for leaving their appearances as is.
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"That's why I'm calling out @cosmopolitan_philippines. It's sad that you felt our bodies needed to be slimmed down," she stated. "But Camila and I are f—ing beautiful. As is. And you can't 'fix' us."
As for Mendes, she also fired back to the magazine, saying on her Instagram story that they feel "disrespected" and "disturbed." Supporting her co-star's statement, she reiterated that they are "more than satisfied" with their bodies and prefer to see them the way they are.
Mendes is a vocal advocate of positive body image, according to E! News. Not only does she work with Project Heal, an organization that helps people with eating disorders; the actress also made it known that she has once suffered from "anxiety around food" and "obsession with dieting."
Meanwhile, Reinhart has already once called out fans for body shaming her.
Cosmopolitan Philippines has yet to release an official statement but has since removed the altered photos of both "Riverdale" stars.
