Abigail Breslin Defends Selena Gomez Against Body Shamers

Selena Gomez has been the focus of some off-the-mark criticism since photos surfaced of the singer frolicking on the beaches of Mexico. The “Come & Get It” star looked sunny and fit, but that didn’t keep naysayers from pointing out that she might have put on a few pounds. Over the weekend, Abigail Breslin decided she’d heard enough, and took to her Tumblr to support Gomez — and slam the haters. “Everyone is always saying how we shouldn’t judge each other, so why are you commenting on a gorgeous, talented and smart young girls [sic] body when she’s on the beach having fun with her friends AND SHE LOOKS AMAZING,” wrote Breslin. “How are young girls supposed to grow up normally and not feel bad about themselves and not develop eating disorders if it’s literally national headline news that a THIN girl may or may not have put on a few pounds, and YET still remains THIN?” The August: Osage County actress makes an excellent point: Headlines like “Thin Girl Might Be Slightly Less Thin Than Before” aren’t doing women any favors when it comes to building a positive body image. “I think if we all took the time we spend making each other feel bad about ourselves and used it to make each other feel good, the world would be a better place.” It might have been the last thing Breslin said that was the most resonant, though.“Also, if we taught girls they had more newsworthy qualities than how they fit into a bikini, we’d have a lot more happy girls.” Touché. Gomez, for her part, has handled the body shaming storm with grace beyond her 22 years. “I love being happy with me yall #theresmoretolove,” she captioned a photo of herself stretching in the sunshine on Instagram. It sounds like there’s a new generation of young women with their heads screwed on straight about body image issues — and that Gomez and Breslin are at the head of the pack.