Here's What Happens When You Photoshop Ronda Rousey
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UFC fighter Ronda Rousey apologized to her fans on Thursday for unintentionally posting a Photoshopped Instagram picture of herself, saying she is proud of "every inch of [her] body."
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On Thursday, Rousey posted a promotional image she received for her appearance on "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon," but she shared a follow-up post later that day explaining that the initial photo was doctored unbeknownst to her. Rousey's latest Instagram post juxtaposes the airbrushed image with the untouched image, revealing that her arm was Photoshopped in the initial image:
"I have to make an apology to everyone — I was sent a picture to share on social for Fallon that was altered without me knowing to make my arms look smaller," she wrote.
Rousey chose not to identify the person who Photoshopped her but wrote that she had to be honest with her fans because Photoshopping "goes against everything" she stands for.
"I won't say by who — I know it was done with severely misplaced positive intentions — but this goes against everything I believe and I am extremely proud of every inch of my body," she continued. "And I can assure you all it will never happen again. I could not be more appalled and hope you all forgive me."
Rousey's honesty earned her ample praise among commenters, many of whom thanked her for bringing this to their attention:
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Rousey has spoken at length about experiencing body image issues and facing eating disorders in the past, so it's significant that she is speaking out against a practice that perpetuates negative body image. Last spring, she told Cosmopolitan that she struggled to accept her athletic body type at a young age.
"I grew up as an athlete doing judo, so I didn't really have a conventional, feminine body type," she told the publication. "I grew up thinking that because my body type was uncommon [i.e., athletic], it was a bad thing. Now that I'm older, I've really begun to realize that I'm really proud that my body has developed for a purpose and not just to be looked at."
This is the message behind Rousey's famous "Don't Be A D.N.B." catchphrase. "D.N.B." is short for "do nothing bitch," and Rousey's argument is that every muscle in her body serves a purpose:
Though she is happy with her body now, this hasn't always been the case. Rousey previously starved herself and binged and purged to stay in her weight class for competitions. Several months ago, she revealed in a Reddit AMA that it's "liberating" to be free of her unhealthy relationship with food.
"It feels very liberating to free of the guilt that used to come with every meal," Rousey wrote. "And I feel like I have so much extra space in my brain now that I'm not constantly thinking about the next meal and trying to eat as much as possible every day while still losing weight. I feel amazing. I (think) I look amazing. And I just ate some bomb-ass french [sic] toast this morning. I'm so happy to hear about all the progress you've made on yourself and best of luck for the future."
