- Jelena Dokic has responded to her body-shaming trolls
- Dokic, 41, revealed that he has lost 20 kg of weight
- But she was criticized for “not representing plus-size people.”
Australian tennis great Jelena Dokic has responded to her online trolls after she was criticized for losing 20 kilograms of weight.
Dokic, 41, has long been open about her struggles with depression, social media abuse, body shaming and the family violence she suffered throughout her career.
The Australian has campaigned for people to support body image acceptance in others, but came under fire from trolls after revealing she recently lost 20kg from her heaviest weight last year.
She explained that the weight loss was due to healthier eating, but took to social media on Tuesday to reveal that people had shamed her for supposedly succumbing to “diet culture” and “no longer representing people of large size”.
‘It’s not good if you gain weight and it’s not good if you lose weight. It seems like it’s not good if you’re a size 0, 10 or 18,” Dokic said in a long Instagram post.
Jelena Dokic Hit Back at Her Trolls After Vile Abuse on Social Media
The former Australian tennis star has long spoken out on a number of issues.
‘So you all know that I am very open and honest. Whether I gain weight, lose weight, get depressed, feel good, go through good or bad. I am always honest about both parties.
‘So I thought I’d quickly address my recent weight loss because a few people wrote to me and commented too. I have lost 20 kilos since my heaviest weight last year.
‘I had some health problems but I also wanted to be healthier and fitter and when I turned 40 last year I really started to think about my family history of diabetes, high blood pressure and heart problems.
‘Also, my work has increased dramatically and I needed to be in better physical and mental shape and have more energy.
‘I didn’t have enough energy, especially mentally, to keep up. I needed to eat healthier to achieve this.
‘So, I didn’t focus so much on the weight, but on making better decisions to feel better. With that, the weight started to come off.”
Despite leading a healthier lifestyle, Dokic said strangers still judged her online.
Dokic says she will always be body positive after she was criticized for no longer representing plus-size people. Dokic photographed during her days as a professional tennis star (right)
“Now that some people have already jumped on the judgment and shaming bandwagon over my weight loss and said that I have succumbed to ‘diet culture’ and that I no longer represent plus size people, please don’t don’t even go to that.” She continued.
‘Being healthier and doing what’s best for me has nothing to do with it and I will always and always stand up for people who are size 0 or 20 and especially women.
‘It was always about not judging, shaming and bullying people regardless of their weight and size and instead highlighting that it’s kindness that matters, not our size.
“So even though I’ve lost 20 kilos, it doesn’t change anything.”
Dokic insisted that she will always stand against body shaming and that she will “always be proud of myself and will not hide or be ashamed, no matter my size.”
‘And I will always be against body shaming and valuing people based on their size and weight, regardless of whether I gain or lose a few kilos and clothing sizes.
“Always against body shaming no matter what.”
