Kylie Rancor
A TikToker shut a photographer down after he told her to lose weight for a photoshoot, and the internet is applauding her for standing up for herself.
“I was at my shoot today and the photographer told me to not eat until the next shoot so I would lose weight,” @thewizardliz wrote over the now-viral video.
The man had already made the heinous — but all too common in the world of modeling — statement when the footage starts up. The TikToker looks shocked, but doesn’t wait long before ripping into him.
“I don’t care how many years you have,” she says. “You can’t tell people not to eat until the next shoot, because that will develop an eating disorder. You are very lucky that I am secure in my body and that I love myself, but if there was another model who was standing here and was insecure about their body, that one comment that you made would literally make her go insane.”
The model doesn’t stop there, explaining to the photographer all the effects an eating disorder can have on a person, even potentially resulting in death.
“She can die, because of that one comment that you made. You should watch how you talk to people,” she says.
The photographer tries to cut in to move on, but the outspoken woman was absolutely not going to let it slide.
“No, that’s not the way you talk to people. And I shouldn’t lose anything, because I’m already very skinny. And even if I wasn’t, you’re not the one to tell me what to do with my body,” she tells him. And then things take an even sharper turn.
“You know what you’re going to do? You’re going to tell the clients that I’m not doing this anymore. I’m not shooting. We’re not doing this. You can tell them why,” she offers. “And you should watch your mouth, the way you talk to people, because it can really damage them. And I’m gone. I’m literally out.”
@thewizardliz confirmed that she did, in fact, leave the shoot after saying her peace.
She also posted a follow-up video diving into the situation a little more, first explaining that she doesn’t want to be a model, but was contacted by a clothing brand to work with her for this job.
“The clothing brand and the clients, they knew my sizes, they knew the way I looked, and they loved it,” she said, making it clear that the photographer’s commentary was his own. She also noted that his comments were made before the shoot even began, and she didn’t realize her friend had secretly started filming as she took her stand. But she ultimately decided to post the video to try to bring awareness to the casual shaming and attempt to control women’s bodies that happens in modeling as well as just in the world in general.
“Why are you telling me what I should or shouldn’t do with my body?” she asked, before addressing viewers who didn’t seem to understand why she responded the way she did: “It’s very weird to me that people in the comments find fault in my reaction but not in the disrespect.”
The TikToker ultimately seems happy with the client’s response, saying that they called her immediately to apologize and ask her to come back with a different photographer. She declined, but they called back to confirm they fired the photographer in question regardless.
“Speaking up does make a difference. It is important. And you should love yourself first.”