Teen Mom 2 veteran Leah Messer is hoping to normalize body positivity and stepped outside of her comfort zone when she shared an unedited pic of her stretch marks.
Leah has been scrutinized for her appearance over the years, like most stars in the spotlight.
After being praised for her “impressive glow up” earlier this year by fans, Leah came under fire when trolls accused her of having plastic surgery.
Leah Messer claimed she’s never had plastic surgery
Leah denied having any cosmetic work done and told her fans, “Let me just say, first and foremost, I will never, ever, knock what another woman chooses to do with her body at any given time. But, plastic surgery has just never been for me. I’m scared!”
Now, Leah has taken to her Instagram account to share unedited pics of her body in hopes of getting other women to love themselves, even without using filters, having plastic surgery, or getting fillers or Botox.
Leah showed off unedited pics of her stretch marks
Leah shared two pics to her page. In the first pic, Leah showed her body from the waist down, sitting on a chair in the sand at the beach. In the second pic, Leah’s bikini bottoms sat lower on her hips to reveal stretch marks on her abs and upper thighs.
Leah sent a message to her followers about what fans see on social media versus real life, unedited versions of pics. Leah wanted her followers to know that they should love themselves, regardless of what others think, or how much the media pressures them to look a certain way.
“What you see vs. What is REAL.
“I should get the tummy tuck,”
“I’m so embarrassed by my stretch marks,”
“I don’t like my nose,”
“I should be more toned,”
“I should try that laser removal.”
& the list could go on… ???”
Leah wants the new social media trend to reflect real beauty
“All of these I’ve told myself far too many times. But why? Is it social media? Is it the century we’re in? Is this society conforming to the ideology that we have to meet a certain criteria of perfection eternally? What is it?”
“Why do we tell ourselves these things? It seems far too often that I see or hear of women speaking so negative over their bodies/appearance. & I say all of this because – it genuinely breaks my heart and I want you to know that you’re not alone.”
“I pray that every woman out there knows that YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL despite anything your mind, society, or anyone else’s comments might try to convince you‼️ Tag me in your photos of What You See vs. What Is Real.”
“I’m definitely stepping out of my comfort zone w/ this one BUT let’s make real the new social media trend! #ILY #GoHigherWithPurpose #MakeThisAHeadline ?”
Is Leah’s storyline enough to keep Teen Mom 2 on the air?
Aside from her appearance, Leah has been targeted by critics lately who feel that her segments on Teen Mom 2 have become boring.
Much of Leah’s storyline this season has centered around her health issues and conversations with her three daughters, which fans of Teen Mom 2 have deemed “cringeworthy convos.”
With Teen Mom 2’s ratings plummeting to all-time lows, and Leah’s “boring” storylines, it’s going to take a lot more than social media posts to keep viewership alive.
Teen Mom 2 airs on Tuesdays at 8/7c on MTV.