Riverdale Star Lili Reinhart Responds to Comments that the Show Promotes Unrealistic Body Images

Over the years, Riverdale has grown into a bonafide phenomenon, offering a binge-worthy and moody take on the Archie Comics mythos. The show has arguably become one of the latest in the pantheon of teen TV shows, which has led to some pretty interesting discourse. Lili Reinhart, who plays Betty Cooper on the hit The CW series, dealt with that in an a profound and inspiring way during a recent exchange on Twitter. In a series of tweets, which you can check out below, Reinhart responded to a fan asking why "every single person" on Riverdale is "a 25+ year old" portraying a teenager with a "perfectly chiseled" body.

look like. But I have come to terms with my body and that I’m not the kind of person you would see walking on a runway during fashion week. I have bigger boobs, I have cellulite on my thighs/butt, and my stomach sticks out rather than curves in.

— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) February 6, 2020

Obligation to be strong and show confidence in myself, looking as I do. And I want other young women to see my body on tv and feel comfort in the fact that I’m not a size 0. And I’m not a perfect hourglass shape.

— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) February 6, 2020

This industry struggles with accurate representation of female and male bodies. So I commend the women who have helped our industry take a step in the right ~and authentic~ direction. (Charli Howard being my favorite role model)

— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) February 6, 2020

"Actually, not everyone on this show is perfectly chiseled," Reinhart's tweets say in part. "And even I feel intimidated by the physique of my surrounding cast mates sometimes when I have to do bra/underwear scenes. I've felt very insecure due to the expectation that people have for women on tv, what they should look like."

This isn't the first time that Reinhart has spoken publicly about her self esteem and body dysmorphia, detailing her personal struggles in an interview with Harper's Bazaar.

"I'm not that flawless image person," Reinhart explained. "I could never live up to that. I'm not going to make people think I'm this airbrushed version of myself. There are lots of versions of me. My hair looks like shit most of the time. It looks great when I'm on a carpet, sure, but that's not the only side I want people to see of myself."

She and her co-star Camila Mendes have also publicly called out Cosmopolitan Philippines, after the magazine edited photographs of them to appear much skinnier.

"Over the last year, we've seen an unprecedented movement for women's rights and one thing is clear: Our time is now," Reinhart wrote at the time. "We are phenomenal, and we will make the world a better place for all women."

"Camila and I have worked incredibly hard to feel confident and comfortable in the bodies that we have," Reinhart continued. "It's an everyday battle, sometimes. And to see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is a perfect example of the obstacles we have yet to overcome."

Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.