'They were afraid I was going to be too fat': Plus-size model Ashley Graham details the 'torment' of being dumped by former boyfriends because of her body shape
- The 29-year-old model bashed her former flames at a benefit on Wednesday
- She said she witnessed younger girls and women going through the same body shaming she experienced
- Ashley recalled being called names and being broken up with due to her size
- The model is now happily married to her husband of seven years, Justin Ervin
- Revealed she still struggled with negative thoughts about her body sometimes
They must be kicking themselves now.
Stunning model Ashley Graham has revealed some of her past boyfriends broke up with her because they were afraid she'd get 'too fat' for their taste.
The 29-year-old explained at a benefit Wednesday she sees younger girls and women go through the same body-shaming she once experienced - and bashed her former flames in the process.
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Shocking: Stunning model Ashley Graham (pictured with her husband Justin Ervin) has revealed some of her past boyfriends broke up with her because they feared she'd get 'too fat'
She can relate: Ashley explained at a benefit Wednesday (pictured) that she sees younger girls and women experience the same body-shaming she went through in the past
Steal Ashley's sparkling style in a Badgley Mischka gown
Supermodel Ashley Graham sparkled the night away this week in a beautiful Badgley Mischka dress. Styled by Jeff Kim, Ashley positively glowed in the halter neck style knee-length creation. This specific dress is not available to shop just yet but you can buy the floor-length version, which is equally as gorgeous!
If, however, you are looking for more of a cocktail dress, fear not. There are plenty of glitzy, shorter frocks to take your fancy. How about Rachel Roy's shift dress at Macy's? Perfect for those with legs for days and the confidence to match.
And if it's the simple, modern elegance of Ashley's look that you like, opt for a gown by Aiden Mattox, a brand that specializes in elegant evening wear. Pair this stunner with strappy sandals and a smokey eye and you're good to go.
Shop our edit of the best in studded cocktail dresses below...
'I've lived exactly what they're living. I've lived the torment of the names,' she said, according to People.
'I've lived the torment of boyfriends breaking up with me because they were afraid I was going to be too fat later in life. It's the same cycle, it doesn't matter what generation we are in. Every kid is going to go through the same thing.'
Ashley, who has been happily married with husband Justin Ervin for seven years, revealed that she still has negative thoughts about her body image sometimes, but has learnt to tune them out.
'I wake up sometimes and I think, "I'm the fattest woman alive." But it's really about how you handle it when you wake up. I look in the mirror and I have my affirmations. And mine are simple.
'[I say], "You are bold. You are brilliant and you are beautiful." And then if my lower pooch is really puffing out that day, I say, "Lower pooch you are cute." And we have a moment. And if the hips are really popping I say "I love you too hips.'' '
Confident: The model, who has been happily married for seven years, still struggles with negative thoughts about her body shape, but has learned to tune them out
Breaking ground: Ashley wants fashion to embrace a wide range of bodies and has been in several Fashion Week shows (she is pictured walking for Michael Kors this year at NYFW)
Positive: The model (pictured during NYFW 2015) relies on affirmations to remind herself she is 'bold' and 'beautiful' and teach herself to love every part of her body
Movement: Ashley (pictured in a recent Instagram snap) wants to see more women openly embracing their shapes, hoping they'll inspire others to cultivate self-love
Success: The model got her big break as the face of Lane Bryant and has graced the pages of two Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions in addition to countless magazine spreads
Love: Despite the 'torment' she endured with her callous former flames, Ashley went on to build a happy marriage with her husband, whom she met in 2009 at church
The model, who got her big break as the face of Lane Bryant, has graced the pages of two Sports Illustrated swimsuit editions - in addition to countless magazine spreads and several fashion week shows.
She wants to see more women openly embracing their shapes, hoping they'll inspire others to cultivate self-love.
'Having more role models, more women who are like "Yea, I have cellulite. Yea, it's even on my arms, not just my legs. My butt is a really bizarre shape but you know what, whatever, I'm just going to go rock it," ' Ashley said.
"I think if we had more role models like that that, that were really just speaking their truth about their body and the skin that they're in then maybe young America would be different.
'I think that my career has been a huge testament to how the industry is changing right before our eyes. I don't think that a girl my size, as a model, would ever have been on the cover of Vogue and I'm still so shocked at that."
Ashley posed on the cover of US Vogue's March edition next to six other models, including Gigi Hadid and Kendall Jenner.
Her appearance at the forefront of the magazine was heralded as a step towards more diversity in the fashion industry.
However, when Ashley appeared on the cover of British Vogue just two months prior, editor Alexandra Shulman deplored that some designers had 'flatly refused' to lend clothes for the photo shoot - a move she called 'unwise'.
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