Jennifer Love Hewitt Fans Shut Down Body-Shaming After Online Trolls Target Star’s Appearance
Instead of celebrating her return to the spotlight, some people online took it as an opportunity to make cruel remarks about her body.
The internet has its bright moments—funny memes, helpful hacks, travel tips—but it also has a darker side. Unfortunately, actress Jennifer Love Hewitt became the latest target of that negativity after receiving a wave of harsh and unnecessary body-shaming comments following a recent public appearance.
The I Know What You Did Last Summer star, now 46, attended the premiere of the 2025 reboot of the original film earlier this week. She looked radiant in a black, beaded floor-length gown. But instead of celebrating her return to the spotlight, some people online took it as an opportunity to make cruel remarks about her body.
Several trolls, surprisingly including other women, posted side-by-side images comparing Hewitt today with photos from her teenage years—an unfair and ridiculous comparison that fans were quick to call out.
Instead of celebrating her return to the spotlight, some people online took it as an opportunity to make cruel remarks about her body.
Maya Dehlin SpachOne user on X made a pointed suggestion: “Jennifer Love Hewitt is still gorgeous at 46, and anyone criticising her should have to post their own full-body picture.”
Another commented, “Jennifer Love Hewitt has survived two decades of Hollywood, horror movies, and low-rise jeans—and y’all think your opinion on her body matters? If your first reaction to seeing a woman with a healthy, aging body is to shame her, the problem isn’t her body. It’s your brain.”
The backlash against the critics continued, with another user adding, “It amazes me how many people criticise. These people think their opinions matter. We are all just a speck in time in an endless universe. Make it great and stop the hate.”
And finally, one summed it up perfectly: “This discourse on Jennifer Love Hewitt and her body is disgusting.”
They’re right. It is disgusting.
Understanding the Psychology Behind Body Shaming
Body shaming, like what Jennifer Love Hewitt experienced, is a pervasive issue in our society, fueled by unrealistic beauty standards and exacerbated by social media. According to a study by Fardouly et al. (2015), frequent exposure to idealized images on social media can increase body dissatisfaction and lead to unhealthy dieting behaviors. This same study found that negative comparisons mediate this relationship (Fardouly et al., 2015). It's an important reminder of the power of the media and the impact that it can have on our self-perception.
Women shouldn’t need to meet a narrow, outdated standard of beauty to be respected or appreciated. Not in Hollywood, and not anywhere else.
Monica Schipper
Whether someone thinks Jennifer “looks good for her age” or “especially good after having three kids” misses the entire point. What exactly do people expect a 46-year-old mother of three to look like? More importantly, why does anyone feel entitled to make that judgment in the first place?
Women shouldn’t need to meet a narrow, outdated standard of beauty to be respected or appreciated. Not in Hollywood, and not anywhere else.
While it’s disheartening to see celebrities subjected to this kind of scrutiny, it’s also powerful to witness the wave of support that rises up in response. More and more people are refusing to let body-shaming go unchallenged, and that matters. Because calling it out is how real change begins.
Fortunately, positive social support, like the fans who stood up for Hewitt, can act as a buffer against body shaming. A study by Holmqvist and Frisén (2012) found that social support can protect against negative body image and dieting behaviors in adolescence. This illustrates the importance of cultivating supportive social networks, both online and offline.
What Research Shows About Celebrity Body Shaming
Celebrities, despite their status, are not immune to the effects of body shaming. A study by Brown and Tiggemann (2016) found that media commentary on celebrities' bodies can have indirect effects on women's body satisfaction, mediated by internalization and comparison. In other words, negative comments about celebrities' bodies can lead to negative feelings about our own bodies. Hence, it's crucial to challenge and call out body shaming when we see it.
Analysis & Alternative Approaches
In conclusion, the psychological impact of body shaming is profound and far-reaching, but research shows that supportive communities and challenging harmful narratives can mitigate these effects. As Jennifer Love Hewitt's experience illustrates, standing up against body shaming is a collective responsibility. Let's foster an environment that celebrates body diversity and promotes body positivity (Brown and Tiggemann, 2016; Fardouly et al., 2015; Holmqvist and Frisén, 2012).
