Riverdale stars Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes are known for speaking out about issues such as body shaming, sexual harassment, eating disorders, and mental health. Now, they’re speaking out about the unnecessary photoshopping of their images in a fashion magazine.
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Reinhart took to her Instagram stories last week to call out Cosmopolitan Philippines for altering photographs of both herself and Mendes to make them appear slimmer than they do in the American edition of the magazine.
“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. “We are phenomenal, and we will make the world a better place for all women.”
But the post celebrating International Women’s Day soon turned to the issues with the photos.
“Camila and I have worked incredibly hard to feel confident and comfortable in the bodies that we have,” she wrote. “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.”
Reinhart then shared the images that showed the photos as used for the American version of Cosmopolitan and the Cosmopolitan Philippines, with the latter having used editing techniques to distort both Reinhart’s and Mendes’ waists to be narrower and almost triangular.
Mendes also spoke out about the photos in a note shared to her own Instagram stories.
“Happy International Women’s Day!” Mendes wrote. “@Lilireinhart and I feel disrespected and disturbed by the sight of our photoshopped bodies in @cosmopolitan_philippines. We want their readers to know that those bodies are not ours; they have been distorted from their natural beauty. We prefer to see our bodies the way they actually are. I’m not interested in having a slimmer waist. I’m more than satisfied with the one that I already have. Much love and self respect, Camila and Lili.”
These images come on the heels of Mendes’ participation with Project HEAL’s “done with dieting” campaign in which she shared her experiences with eating disorders.
“I’m done believing in the idea that there’s a thinner, happier version of me on the other side of all of the tireless effort,” Mendes said. “Your body type is subject to genetics, and while eating nutrient-dense foods and exercising regularly will make you healthier, it will not necessarily make you thinner, and the current system fails to make that distinction. A healthy body is the idea body type, and that will look different for every person. I’m #donewithdieting.”
Riverdale airs Wednesdays at 8/7c on The CW.
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