JoJo Reveals The Dramatic Way She Was Made To Lose Weight

While promoting her first full-length album in a decade, JoJo opened up about the early days of her career — and revealed that her success came at a major price. The singer told Entertainment Tonight that her former record company pressured her to lose weight when she was still a teenager. JoJo, who landed her first hit single at just 13, was infamously wrapped up in a legal battle with her record company for years, which stalled her career. In the new interview, she says the weight pressures only compounded the stress of that time. "I was 18 and I was told that if I didn't look a certain way that they wouldn't put out my music," she said. "So, my music was already being dangled in front of me and they already were saying that, you know, things weren't gonna happen, so I was like, 'Oh, if this is gonna make my music come out, then okay.'" She went on to explain that she was encouraged to use injectable hormones as a weight-loss tool, apparently referencing the dangerous "hCG diet": "I was injecting myself with this thing from this dietician that makes it so you’re not hungry, and it tricks your body into thinking you're pregnant," she explains. "I wasn't even done growing, necessarily, but because I wanted my career to move forward and I was so scared, I did it." Sadly, JoJo is not the first female celebrity who was made to believe that her career hinged upon her weight and her appearance. In fact, Laura Prepon has also spoken out about injecting herself with hormones to lose weight — which, let's all agree, is by no means safe. It's upsetting to know that so many famous women have been not only pressured to lose weight, but encouraged to go to extreme lengths to do so. It's also important that they're willing to share their personal stories. The more women who speak out about it, the harder it will be to ignore this damaging, widespread trend that needs to end.