On Monday 20th June I received a call from Light London, Alex Light’s size-inclusive swimwear brand. I was informed that Laurence Fox had included me and two other models in a set of harmful – and quite frankly disgusting – tweets.
Laurence stated that he was put off from eating his lunch because of the sight of our bodies while looking for swimwear for his “Mrs” – there is a lot more I could write here, but I won’t stoop as low as he chooses to on a daily basis.
When I got the call I had no idea who this man was. I googled him and it all became astonishingly clear; this man (who has previously made several statements which have been interpreted as racist and/or misogynistic) was just doing what he does best. He was trying to leverage an image, especially one that he does not own, to make a bigoted point about his own shortcomings.
Initially, I was unaffected by the tweets but as the day progressed it saddened me. I began to question how in 2022, we continue to have so many believing the fatphobic messages that leave their own mouth, spewing such negative vitriol about people they have never met, or know nothing about. I also wondered why people like this often have such noteworthy platforms.
Instagram content
This content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.
I’m no stranger to receiving comments surrounding my appearance; I’m radically unapologetic in the Black plus-sized body that I possess, and the way I move around – taking up space – has a way of making many people (who are often not happy within themselves) uncomfortable.
Since successfully campaigning (alongside Gina Martin and Alex Cameron) for Instagram to change their nudity policy to stop discriminating against Black, plus-sized content creators two years ago, I have had a tremendous amount of support. But sadly, there are still those who believe I am promoting obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle.
