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Former Plus Model Crystal Renn Backpedals

 

Crystal Renn and Zac Posen at the Met

Last week there was much chatter about Crystal Renn’s newly slim shape as Zac Posen’s date at the Met. Reactions ranged from betrayal  to glowing admiration.  Renn said, “I think that by placing a title on my head, which is ‘plus-size,’ and then the picture that these people have created in their mind about what plus-size actually is, I’ve basically failed you just with that. Because I couldn’t possibly live up to that, and at this point in my life I would have to actually have another eating disorder to live up to that expectation. I had anorexia ultimately because someone else set the standard for me and I wanted to follow it. And if I followed what the public wanted from me or what the media wants from me [to be plus-size], I’d be doing the same thing.”

Two years ago Renn told ABC she was able to achieve her former missy model “hungry girl” state by dieting  and eating as little as 600 calories a day with compulsive exercise.  Maintaining her single digit model weight has to be as difficult now as it was back then, perhaps even more so as she ages.

Are we supposed to forget she had an eating disorder? She can no longer be classified as plus size but her way of distancing herself from a plus size label smacks of duplicity. It was her plus size beauty that catapulted her to fame and now she wants to abandon her plus size fan base.

The plus size community is known for its loyalty. I recently had a conversation with a garmento who raved about the allegiance of plus size customers. Michael Gross, author of  Model: The Ugly Business of Beautiful Women thinks “the stauesque brunette is ‘fair game’ for the criticism she’s received. She’s cashed in on gaining weight and now she’s losing weight.  I don’t know whether it’s hypocrisy but it’s worth making an observation about.”

It’s not the first time we’ve been abandoned by the likes of Star Jones who couldn’t come clean about her bypass or Jennifer Hudson who refused to tell Oprah how much weight she lost.  The plus size community will support its celebrities even if you lose weight, just stop the backpedaling.