ICYMI: Earlier this week, influencer Arielle Charnas posted mirror selfie while wearing a bikini. The shot showed off her toned stomach, and the caption reads, “Proud of my body after two kids.”
Amanda Seyfried’s friend commented on the post, calling out the mom for promoting her “unhealthy body image.” Seyfried shared a screenshot of the comment to her own Instagram feed with a lengthy caption explaining how a “semi-influencer” (assumed to be Charnas) had blocked both Seyfried and her friend. Seyfried wrote that she was upset because by blocking them, this influencer wouldn’t engage in conversation.
Seyfried received plenty of flak from her fans, many of whom believed that by sharing the post, she supported the overly-critical message her friend wrote. (In fact, Health even weighed in on the topic!)
On Thursday, Seyfried responded to the situation in an Instagram post. She shared a photo of Robert Frost’s quote, “Education is the ability to listen to almost anything without losing your temper or your self-confidence.”
“To all who feel bullied or thin-shamed during our recent social media discussion: If you know me or are familiar with any of my beliefs or stances you’ll recognize that it isn’t in my character to tear down anyone for ‘being who they are,’” she wrote. “Each of us has the ability and the freedom to say and do as we choose. However, as I’m acutely aware, there’s a price tag for the group of people who find themselves with a platform to stand on.”
Seyfried said that she believes people with influence need to be able to respond to criticism and be held accountable for the messages they send. However, she apologized about how she handled the situation and to the unnamed influencer.
“The only thing I’d take back is exactly how I started this debate. I desperately wish it hadn’t targeted (or blasted) one person (there are MANY who engage in this questionable messaging) and instead started a cleaner, general conversation,” she wrote. “No one needs to tear anyone apart. And I regret that it’s present right now. To the lady in question: I’m sorry for the truly negative feels you’ve endured because of this.”
“Aside from the messy detour? The bigger, important message seems to filtering through and helping a lot of women feel supported. And that’s the name of the game,” she added.
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