The 31-year-old actress has opened up about the struggles she’s faced in the past with her body image which have only been made worse by the comments she’s received from people on social media and the endless weight comparisons she can find when she Googles her name and body size.
Taking to her Instagram account, she shared: “Have you ever typed into google: ‘What does *insert name of actor/model/celebrity* weight?’ Followed by countless hours of compare and despair??
“During my life the scale has told me that I’ve gained and lost and gained and lost. Somewhere in the range of 20 pounds. But that piece of metal doesn’t really know. Here is what I ACTUALLY WEIGH. (sic)”
Rather than reveal the actual figure of her weight, the ‘Shameless’ star posted a picture of herself with words and phrases that describe who is as a person and what she values in her life, such as her friends, her marriage to director Sam Esmail, her ambition and her kind nature. Her post read: “3 best friends since kindergarten, drive, kindness, empathy, makes friends with strangers, Jewish and proud, Daughter, 100+ hours of television. “The courage it takes everyday to overcome ptsd, one happy marriage, 3 episodes of television directed, countless hours of therapy, one finished screenplay, and animal rescuer. (sic)”
Rossum’s empowering message to her 3.3 million Instagram followers was in reference to the I Weigh movement – started by Jameela Jamil – which encourages women value themselves no matter how much they weigh and she urged her fans to share their own inspiring stories.
The ‘Phantom of the Opera’ actress continued: “See, when you add up everything you are?? The size of your thighs don’t really matter anymore do they? “So join me in this. Show people what you are actually made of. Because you are so much more than a f**king number.” Last week, Rossum took to social media to hit back at mother-of-three Kim Kardashian West’s post boasting about weighing 119 pounds.
She said: “The only time I was 119 pounds is when I had MONO. On a magazine shoot everyone was ‘freaking out over how good’ I looked. I had lost ten pounds and was gaunt and sick and felt faint …It totally messed with my head. “You never know what someone is going through. If you’re having a tough time with body image, I promise you’re beautiful and this feeling will pass.”