Valerie Bertinelli stands by her bikini post: ‘I don’t care what you think’
Valerie Bertinelli is recognized for her openness and strong responses, and recently, the chef has brilliantly combined the two.
This past Monday, she shared a mirror selfie in a bikini on Instagram, mentioning in her caption that she intends to discuss the challenges her body has faced this year, yet she is thankful for who she is right now.
“At this moment, every imperfection on my body feels like acceptance and simple gratitude while I stand in front of a mirror in a hotel bathroom in downtown Manhattan, prepared to do my roots late on a Monday night,” she added.
Valerie didn’t hold back when responding to the critics of her bold photo in another post on Tuesday, stating confidently, “I don’t care what you think.”
“For the first time ever, I love my body as it is now. It’s not the body I had at 20, which I despised, and it’s sad that I did,” she shared, explaining to her audience that “yes, I had a completely different body back then, but it hadn’t yet faced the journey I needed to undertake.”
“Despite how difficult it has been, I treasure this journey and wouldn’t exchange my current body for my 20-year-old one any day,” Bertinelli expressed.
She directed her message to her 1.6 million Instagram followers, urging, “To everyone who judges my body, the photo, and my reasons for posting it, I hope you can be kinder to yourself than you are to me.”
In recent times, she has been candid about her experiences with body image and self-care.
Earlier this year, the former Food Network star discussed her personal experiences relating to body standards through an Instagram post in February.
“This body weighs 150 pounds on a 5’4 frame. I’ve stopped weighing myself because I don’t know who decides what is considered overweight. It’s ridiculous, and I believed those standards for way too long. I’ve finally realized that I am a kind, thoughtful, funny woman,” Bertinelli reflected in that post.
“So remember, your character and who you truly are should never be overshadowed by your size or weight. You are enough, just as you are,” she emphasized.
