An intact sleek and blonde ponytail. Skater skirts and jersey tees. And an attitude that runs in tandem with a fierce, undaunted personality. With her stellar performance in the notorious series Riverdale, actor Lili Reinhart has definitely carved her name in Hollywood and the OTT space. But as the young woman dealt with fame, social media and tight schedules, her journey hasn’t been far from a struggle. From fighting body dysmorphia, advocating mental health to calling out body image malarkey—her voice is as loud as her highly critical, curious and vigilant generation.
As the actor continues to pass unscathed through the world of photoshop, cancel culture and beauty standards, her journey has been nothing but inspiring. Ahead, find 5 lessons about beauty, mental health, confidence and social media that Lili Reinhart teaches us.
1. Always Keep It Raw And Real
Struggling with body dysmorphia in her teenage years, Lili Reinhart did not rebuild her confidence and self-esteem in a jiffy. When a magazine photoshopped her image with co-star Camila Mendes to slim down their waists, she took to her Instagram—which has a massive million following, of course—to highlight the incident.
In a statement she emphasised, “Camila and I have worked incredibly hard to feel confident and comfortable in the bodies that we have. It’s an everyday battle, sometimes. And to see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is a perfect example of the obstacles we have yet to overcome.” She further added, “Our battle has only just begun. We aren’t going to hide behind photoshop to conform to beauty standards.”
2. “Hurt People, Hurt People”
When people bullied the actor’s then love interest Cole Sprouse, she went off Twitter as a way to combat the bullying. Speaking about the online bullying from her past experiences, she shared, “You’re taught a lot about bullying and standing up for yourself. But when you start talking about mental health and diving a little bit deeper into it, you start to realise the phrase ‘hurt people hurt people’.”
She explained, “When you look at a bully in that way, in the sense that their actions and how they treat you, is really just a reflection of them and not you; it’s a lot easier to keep going, to move on and kind of let things roll off your back.”
3. Use Social Media Consciously
With users and renowned stars taking a voluntary break from social media, Lili Reinhart preaches the same. “I think, if I’m having a bad day, I tend to stay off social media. I tend to focus on myself, whether that’s reading a book to make me feel better, or writing. I seek out a friend to keep my company,” she says. “I also talk to my mum. I rely on and reach out to people when I’m having a bad day,” she added further in a statement.
4. Accept And Embrace Your Imperfections
With popularity on the internet, comes great responsibility. Not only is social media a platform filled with the gaze of young women but also impressionable personalities who seek a role model. Acknowledging the pressure of this influence, Lili Reinhart shared, “The more we share our insecurities and the perceived flaws that we have, the easier it is to support one another.”
“If you know that so many people out there are thinking the same things about themselves, it makes it easier to accept the things that you don’t love about yourself. It builds a sense of community and mutual understanding with the people around you, which is incredibly important for making you not feel like an outsider,” she explained further.
5. Choose To Be Happy
When asked about the best piece of advice she’s ever received, during an interview, she revealed, “One from my dad when I was really young—but also just growing up—he just told me to make sure that whatever I do in life, it’s something that makes me happy. He told me don’t choose a career that’s going to make you miserable. It’s not about money. You have to choose something that’s going to make you happy, because otherwise, what’s the point?” And boy, don’t we agree!
Photographs: Instagram, Getty Images
