Warning: This article discusses themes that may be distressing for some readers.
Emily Ratajkowski has shared some insight into the "scary" reality of the modelling industry, revealing that despite progress towards making the field more inclusive, losing weight is still rewarded with more work.
The 32-year-old, who rose to prominence following her appearance in Robin Thicke's controversial music video for 'Blurred Lines' in 2013, has long been extolled for her trim figure and taut stomach, which she regularly flaunts for her 30 million followers on Instagram.
But the mum-of-one - who filed for divorce from her ex-husband Sebastian Bear-McClard in 2022 - is now sharing the "alarming" reality behind her famous physique, admitting she lost an unhealthy amount of weight following the birth of her son in 2021 and the subsequent breakdown of her four-year marriage.
Speaking on a recent episode of her podcast High Low With EmRata, Ratajkowski said her anxiety skyrocketed amid the upheaval in her personal life, leading to a loss of appetite.
"I had lost a tonne of weight after my son was born, and I could not gain the weight back," she said.
"Weighing that much was really alarming and I could not gain weight. I couldn't enjoy food, and it wasn't about my body image, it was about my anxiety, and if I'm ever stressed, the first thing that happens is I stop eating. It's just how my brain works."
The changes in her body were difficult to come to terms with, she added, noting that she struggled to feel confident with her new "skinny" frame: yet despite branding her weight loss as "alarming", Ratajkowski found her career took a sudden, unexpected upturn.
"It was really frustrating for me because I actually didn't like being that skinny... It's weird though, because fashion definitely... like, I started walking more shows. I was getting booked for things that I hadn't booked for before.
"And when you talk about body ideals, that's really scary."
Ratajkowski implied that it felt like her weight loss was being 'rewarded' with the influx of work: perpetuating the idea that a woman's appearance is their most valuable asset, regardless of what it took to achieve it.
It's not the first time the model has spoken candidly about the reality of working in an industry so often pilloried for its sexism and misogyny, particularly when identifying as a feminist.
Speaking to Forbes, Ratajkowski said she has accepted that she is a 'bad feminist', a term coined by Roxane Gay to describe women who identify with both sides of the spectrum: for example, finding chauvinist lyrics offensive, but enjoying the music anyway.
"Gay coined the term 'bad feminist,' so I guess I'll just take that; I'm fine with it," she said.
"I used to really die on the word feminism; it was so important to me that I identified as a feminist, but I now kind of have evolved a little bit."
Earlier this year, Ratajkowski also opened up about her extreme weight loss during an appearance on the podcast Going Mental with Eileen Kelly.
"I did lose a tonne of weight right away, probably from stress, but it just didn't feel like my body," she said in March.
"Now I'm like 15lbs up, which is a lot on my frame and it feels so nice to have an ass and have a good relationship with food again."
Ratajkowski has also released a book titled My Body, which explores her evolving relationship with her body as a 'commodity' and the tension between empowerment and objectification.
