14 DAY TRIAL // Female celebrities, whether they’re actresses, singers, or even reality stars, must always look impeccable, which, as a rule, includes “skinny” as well. There is no “taking some time off” from dieting or a rigorous exercise routine, because any noticeable weight gain becomes reason for ridicule and fat-shaming online. Men are no different.
Take Leonardo DiCaprio’s case as an example (though this has happened before, most notably with Gerard Butler, to whom the tabloids loved reminding of his “300” ripped physique).
Leo usually takes summers off to party with friends and travel the world. This means that he and a bunch of guys, and maybe even some models too, board a private jet or a yacht and chill in the most exotic of places. You know, the kind of things all of us wish we’d be able to do.
Just this year, the Oscar-nominated actor hit the beaches in Bora Bora, Cannes, Los Angeles, and Brazil. He was photographed in Miami the other day, and because he’s obviously packed some pounds (all that partying would take its toll on anyone, not just a celebrity), he is now being mocked online for being “fat.”
The Daily Mail does it in a more subtle manner, as if DiCaprio is reading his own press and then shoving his weight gain in the face of all his haters.
“Leonardo DiCaprio was the subject of a few jibes from some quarters about having piled on the pounds as he heads towards his 40th birthday. Despite the taunts, Leo flaunted his new found paunch on the beach in Miami on Saturday, stepping out in a pair of striped board shorts as he hit the water,” the report says.
You can see photos of Leo at the beach at the link: he’s clearly gained some weight, but he is far from fat. In fact, if you look closely, you will notice that whatever pounds he’s “piled on” went to his tummy, because he looks as slender as ever elsewhere.
So DiCaprio has become the latest celebrity to be fat-shamed and some research online proves that this has been going on for at least 3 months, when some weight gain was first noticed. In April, for instance, TMZ ran a story with the headline “Leolardo DiFlabrio,” whose first sentence was “What isn’t Gilbert Grape eating?”
And these two are perhaps the most “polite” comments on DiCaprio’s heavier figure. What people are forgetting when they’re criticizing him for getting “fat” is how little he cares about these things.
DiCaprio has always maintained that he has no intention of being a celebrity: he is an actor and a producer because he loves the craft, but he doesn’t want to engage in the fame game more than he’s contractually bound to do.
This means that, when he’s not working on a new film, which would require him to look a certain way, he will do whatever he wants, without paying any mind to what people say about it. That includes gaining weight.