Camila Cabello reveals 'sadness' after becoming 'fixated' on her beach paparazzi pictures
Camila Cabello has revealed that she has been left with "emptiness and sadness" after becoming "fixated" on what she looks like in beach paparazzi pictures.
The singer, 25, opened up about feeling "vulnerable and unprepared" when unexpectedly photographed in her bikini off the Miami coast.
In an emotional Instagram post, she wrote: "I've worn bikinis that were too small and paid no mind to how I looked, then saw pictures online and comments and been so upset.
"I reminded myself when it impacted my self-esteem that I was thinking the culture's thoughts and not my own.
"A culture that has gotten so used to an image of what a 'healthy' woman's body looks like that is completely not real for a lot of women.
"Photoshop, restrictive eating, over-exercising, and choosing angles that make our bodies look different than how they are in the moment."
Cabello continued: "I remind myself of this, listen to podcasts on intuitive eating, follow women who accept their stretch marks, cellulite, bellies, bloating, weight fluctuations...and still.
"I'm a single woman in her 20s in the middle of a s*** ton of promo and I want to feel like I look 'good'."
The star revealed that for a recent trip to the beach she put on a "cute" outfit, didn't eat anything "too heavy" and held her core "so tight my abs hurt" – but still felt "self-conscious" the whole time.
She noted : "What is health if you're so fixated on what your body looks like that your mental health suffers and you can't enjoy your life."
Her post resonated with social media users, who left more than 800,000 'likes' and over 7,000 messages of support and praise.
This included Paris Hilton, who wrote: "This made me cry. Thank you for writing this, so important for people to hear. You are beautiful inside and out."
Sara Sampaio left a string of 'love heart' emojis, while body positivity influencer Danae Mercer commented: "I am so sorry. And in the same breath, I’m so thankful you’ve spoken about it."
Watch: Celebrities reveal their mental health struggles
