Danielle Brooks admits she felt ‘shame’ after not bouncing back from 60lbs of baby weight
Brooks gave birth to her daughter Freeya a year ago
Danielle Brooks has always been a vocal body positivity advocate, but recently the Orange Is The New Black alum revealed that she has battled with feelings of shame and insecurity after failing to shed 60 pounds of baby weight.
Wednesday, the 31-year-old took to her Instagram to open about those moments when she found it difficult to love for her body after welcoming her daughter Freeya a year ago. She also admitted that seeing her peers in Hollywood get praised for quickly snapping back after childbirth only amplified her anxieties.
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“As someone who coined the phrase #voiceofthecurves I’ve muted my voice for a few months now out of shame. I felt shameful of gaining weight,” she wrote alongside a picture of her posing in the nude.
“Even though I brought a whole human into the world, I still felt shameful because I wasn’t able to maintain my normal body weight post- pregnancy. And a year later i have only lost roughly 20lbs of a 60lb weight gain. I was quiet in hopes to post that snatch back photo like so many celebrities miraculously do. But that’s not my story.”
She went on to say that seeing singer Lizzo recently face backlash for promoting a detox cleanse made her want to chime in and remind people that plus-size women don’t owe anyone explanations about the personal choices they make for their bodies.
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“Just like Lizzo, and so many other ‘fat’ girls we should be allowed to make healthy choices publicly without being made to feel like frauds for trying to be healthy. I feel it’s important to share the journey, as a reminder that we are not alone, we ain’t always got it together, and that we are ALL works in progress,” she explained.
“So I’m sharing. I’m doing all kinds of diets, cleanses, making all kinds healthy choices. Not because I don’t love myself now, but because I DO love myself, my body and my mind. Bc I want to continue to feel strong and sexy without catching ‘the sugars’ or any other disease. It’s okay showing the in between of growth. You ain’t always gotta have it all the way together. Just speaking from the heart.”
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