Camila Cabello Just Opened Up About Recent Beach Photos: ‘I’ve Never Had A Worse Time’

Camila Cabello opened up about body image, mental health and self-worth in a powerful message for her 12.7 million Twitter followers earlier this month, and fans are still discussing its importance online. The “Don’t Go Yet” hitmaker, 25, took to the social media platform on April 2 to address recent photos that paparazzi had taken of her in a bikini in Miami. The singer wrote that she had been “papped” on that beach before, and described how the great lengths the photographers would go to just to capture her body (“hiding in the bushes, etc.) was understandably upsetting and stressful.

She revealed that what was actually a fun time at the beach later turned into a series of photos that left her feeling insecure and uncomfortable about normal things like cellulite and not having a completely flat stomach. “Every time I’ve felt super vulnerable and unprepared— I’ve worn bikinis that were small and paid no mind to how I looked, then saw pictures online and comments and been so upset,” she said.

Cabello recalled how free she used to feel as a little girl at the beach before societal expectations on her body made her think differently and also touched upon how her work in therapy encourages her to return to that mindset, even when her body is constantly being judged: “I reminded myself when it impacted my self-esteem that I was thinking the culture’s thoughts and not my own. A culture who 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.”

The former Fifth Harmony member also pointed out how women’s “bodies we see” on social media are often “Photoshopped,” edited, and not depicting the real body of a real person, whereas the paparazzi pics she was being bullied for do indeed show an untouched, healthy person enjoying herself at the beach. (And might we add, she truly is stunning as she is!)

Cabello’s note to fans inspired many to reply back with their own stories and experiences. “I relate to this so much, thank you,” wrote one user, as another added, “we’ve all felt insecure about our bodies and we shouldn’t.” Others addressed the paparazzi directly, “omg leave Camila alone! She’s so beautiful in these pics I don’t get it,” and another wrote, “trying to make her look bad? Nice try she looks amazing.”

As the weather gets warmer and we all tend to shed a few layers, fans are continuing to applaud Cabello for being open about topics like body image, mental health and body insecurity in the efforts to comfort and remind fans that what many think is a “healthy” woman’s body is often edited or manipulated. “We see pictures of women and praise them for looking good, for looking fit or ‘healthy’, but what is health if you are so fixated on what your body looks like that your mental health suffers and you can’t enjoy your life?” she wrote, leaving an important question for us all to ask ourselves. Read Cabello’s full statement here.