Tess Holliday has shared the response she gave to a woman who body-shamed her about her weight, with the model revealing she was “proud” of the way she handled the situation.
Holliday, 36, recounted the exchange, which took place in the waiting room of a doctor’s office, in a video posted to Instagram, where she revealed that she had been waiting and “minding my own business” when another woman complimented her on her appearance.
“She says: ‘You are so pretty. You have a beautiful face and you have beautiful hair.’ And I mean, I look like this, and my face is covered, but I’m like: ‘Oh, thank you!’” Holliday recalled.
However, according to the model, the woman then questioned why she didn’t lose weight, with Holliday recalling how she’d “proceeded to tell me: ‘Why don’t you just lose a little bit of weight?’”
In the clip, Holliday acknowledged that she is “no stranger” to these comments, as it “happens often,” before explaining that she typically responds in a way that placates their “diet talk to make them feel a little bit better” because of her “trauma” and people-pleasing tendencies”.
“I’m usually like: ‘Well you know I work out,’ whatever,” she said.
However, in this instance, Holliday said that she had a different response because she was “tired,” with the model recalling how she’d responded by informing the woman that she is one of the “most famous plus-size models in the world”.
“I looked at her, took a breath and I said, and I still can’t believe I said this, look at me smiling, I’m so proud of myself, I looked at her and I said: ‘Ma’am, I am one of the most famous plus-size models in the world; I think I’m doing okay,’” Holliday said.
After letting out a scream of joy over her response, Holliday then continued recounting the story, with the model revealing that the woman then proceeded to discuss her own eating habits, to which she had replied: “’Bodies are weird.’”
According to Holliday, the encounter ended shortly after when the nurse called her name.
“I’m proud of myself. I’m proud of myself for standing up for myself even though she will never get it and there was no reason for me to explain myself in that situation,” Holliday continued. “But I’m f***ing proud of myself.”
In the caption, Holliday noted that she doesn’t “give myself enough credit” before explaining that her “energy this year is very much to cut that s**t out”.
“Going to the doctor and dealing with someone body-shaming me was apparently my tipping point lol, not sorry,” she wrote.
Holliday’s response prompted praise from the models followers, who applauded her for her handling of the situation and revealed that they were also proud of her.
“Ugh I’m sorry you had to go through that but you handled it like a queen!” one person wrote, while another said: “YES TESS!!!! This is such a beautiful, empowering, awesome response!!! And it was still kind, truthful and simple. Thank you for being yourself and sharing this.”
Someone else added: “I hope she looked you up when she heard the nurse call your name; and I hope she sees this video.”
