For musicians, the Grammy Awards are the biggest event of the year. To be invited is amazing, but to be nominated? That's the next level. Singer Bebe Rexha was thrilled when she found out she had been nominated as a Best New Artist of 2019. She began shopping around for dresses, but soon came to the realization that it would be harder than she thought.
The "Meant to Be" singer was turned away by many fashion designers because she was considered "too big," and Rexha decided to rant about the unfairness in an Instagram video.
"I'm sorry, I had to get this off my chest," she captioned the video. "If you don't like my fashion style or my music that's one thing. But don't say you can't dress someone that isn't a runway size. We are beautiful any size! Small or large! Anddddd My size 8 ass is still going to the Grammys[...] I had my team hit out a lot of designers and a lot of them do not want to dress me because I'm too big."
She then went on to say:
So I finally get nominated at the Grammys and it's like the coolest thing ever. And a lot of times artists will go and talk to designers and they'll make them custom dresses to walk the red carpet. So I had my team hit out a lot of designers and a lot of them do not want to dress me because I'm too big."You're saying all the women in the world that are a size 8 and up are not beautiful and that they cannot wear your dresses. So to all the people who said I'm thick and I can't wear your dress, f"” you, I don't want to wear your f"”ing dresses.
Rexha was met with a ton of support, and had designers reaching out to dress her for the big event. Finally, she decided to go with a Monsoori gown, and lots of people were excitedly waiting to see what it would look like. She stepped out on the red carpet in the stunning red gown, and she certainly turned heads.
The singer chatted with Ryan Seacrest about the experience of sharing her body-shaming moment, and what the response was like.
"It's been amazing," she said. "I didn't expect it. I just did the video because I was really heartbroken and it bummed me. They said I was too big or fat and I love my body and I just want other girls to love their bodies."
Seacrest asked Rexha if she'd ever wear a gown from one of the designers who turned her down, and she had a pretty open-minded answers.
"I would say yes," she admitted. "I mean, I'm okay. I don't get angry at people. I just want to wear people and work with people who love me for me. I really just wanted to share my story and how frustrated I was. I never expected to receive the amount of love and support that I did,
Despite the controversy surrounding her and her dress, the 29-year-old singer is trying to make the most of her Grammy night.
"I want to have a Cinderella moment: I want it [the dress] to be so hard to walk in. I can't believe that I am finally nominated for a Grammy, two Grammys! For me this is my Cinderella moment."
I think it's inspiring that Rexha not only stood up against her body shamers, but also said that she'd wear one of their dresses in the future. Sometimes it's not about completely shutting people out, but using your moment to educate others.
[H/T: People]
