On Monday, an "unedited" photo of Khloé Kardashian wearing a bikini and posing near a pool was accidentally posted on social media without her consent.
Kardashian's team quickly moved to have the leaked image scrubbed from the internet after it started popping up on Reddit and Twitter, as previously reported.
The reality star drew criticism on social media for trying to have the unfiltered photo pulled, with many accusing her of setting unrealistic beauty standards for fans with her heavily-photoshopped images.
Kardashian Addresses Controversy with Nude Video, Statement on Body Image Struggles
Amid the controversy, Kardashian took to Instagram and Twitter to share a topless video of herself wearing nothing but a bikini bottom and another clip in which she showed off her toned body to the camera. "Yes I did a live to show you all this isn't photoshopped," she captioned the post.
Khloe also accompanied the videos with a statement addressing the controversy. "Hey guys, this is me and my body unretouched and unfiltered. The photo that was posted this week is beautiful. But as someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, when someone takes a photo of you that isn't flattering in bad lighting or doesn't capture your body the way it is after working so hard to get it to this point — and then shares it to the world — you should have every right to ask for it to not be shared — regardless of who you are."
"For over a decade now in photos, every single flaw and perfection had been micro-analyzed and made fun of to the smallest detail and I am reminded of them every day by the world. And when I take that criticism to use as motivation to get myself in the best shape of my life and to even help others with the same struggles, I am told I couldn't have done it through hard work and I must have paid for it all," she continued.
Towards the end of the note, she added, "My body, my image and how I choose to look and what I want to share is my choice. It's not for anyone to decide or judge what is acceptable or not anymore."
Backlash on Social Media
While some lauded Kardashian for opening up about her struggles with body image, most criticized her yet again for contradicting herself and stigmatizing natural beauty.
"That's a lovely statement but very much a contradiction. By putting out the perfect image with all the filters you are contributing to the problem that makes others feel the same as you do. Just be you with filters and airbrushing is what you're saying," wrote one user.
"Khloé, you neglect to take accountability that a person of your economic status uses photoshopping, airbrushing, make up, professional photography that is put together for all your social media posts. You stigmatize natural beauty when you behave like you do as an influencer," commented another.
"I love you Khloe, but you missed a huge opportunity to post that photo on your own socials and SHOW women they should love themselves, flaws and all. You can't say we should all love ourselves and be body positive when you're erasing untouched photos and only posting edited ones," tweeted yet another.
