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'I like to eat': Bebe Rexha slams body-shaming trolls as she addresses weight gain after health diagnosis

Bebe Rexha appeared on 'The Jennifer Hudson Show' where she discussed her struggles with PCOS, which contributed to her weight reaching 165 pounds

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Bebe Rexha has taken a stand against online trolls who have been making derogatory comments about her weight gain. During an appearance on 'The Jennifer Hudson Show', she openly discussed her struggles with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome), which contributed to her weight reaching 165 pounds.

Despite her efforts to maintain a positive outlook on her body, the 'I'm Good' hitmaker expressed her unhappiness at the negative comments about her weight on recent TikTok videos. "Listen, we're in the public eye, so that's bound to happen," she told Jennifer. "I was a lot thinner, and I did gain some weight - that comes with the territory. I'm not mad about it because it is true, but when you see things like that, it does mess with you."

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'Listen, I like to eat, okay?'

Bebe added, "You don't know what somebody's going through, what they're going through in their life, so it kind of is tough. But I feel like we're in 2023, we should not be talking about people's weight." Amid applause from the audience, she further emphasized her point by stating, "Listen, I like to eat, okay? I like to eat!" Jennifer, 41, wholeheartedly supported Bebe's statement by responding, "Ain't nothing wrong with that!"

During a recent interview with Gayle King on the SiriusXM show 'Gayle King in the House', Bebe opened up about how the symptoms of PCOS can impact one's life. "It causes facial hair, acne around the chin, weight gain—it makes it hard to get pregnant. A lot of women don’t know they have it because it takes a certain type of doctor and certain tests [to be diagnosed with the condition]." 

'I had people around me telling me to get lipo'

Bebe revealed that the weight fluctuations caused by PCOS have posed challenges for her. She explained that in addition to grappling with the realities of her new diagnosis, she is also in the process of recovering from harmful diet-culture practices that were imposed on her when she initially entered the music industry.

"I’ve been struggling with food for forever," she said, adding, "I remember starting out and getting my first record deal and they said to me, 'Are you ready to get into boot camp shape? You need to lose 20 pounds to do this career.' I was 127 pounds at the time, and I had people around me telling me to get lipo(suction)."

Bebe has expressed her discomfort with other people's persistent fixation on her size. In April, she shared a screenshot on Twitter revealing a search term on TikTok which read, "Bebe rexha weight" which unsettled her. "Seeing that search bar is so upsetting. I’m not mad cause it’s true. I did gain weight. But it just sucks. Thank you to all the people who love me no matter what," she wrote.