Jennifer Love Hewitt’s curves spark culture war online [VIDEO]
Black Twitter Praises Her Body While Critics Cry “Fat”—Here’s Why
Jennifer Love Hewitt, once the embodiment of the ’90s girl-next-door aesthetic, made headlines again—this time not for a new role, but for her body. At the July 14 premiere of the I Know What You Did Last Summer sequel, the now 46-year-old actress stepped onto the red carpet in a sleek, beaded black gown that accentuated her figure. Her radiant ginger-red hair, natural aging, and fuller curves became the focal point of a viral online discussion.
But this wasn’t just fashion chatter—it quickly became a cultural flashpoint.
Black Twitter Celebrates While Critics Cry “Fat”
In a widely shared X post, user @WickedNFine (Bella Goth) commented:
“Black people complimenting her curves while white men (& some white women) are calling her fat. Lol…”
The post included a short clip of Hewitt confidently posing on the red carpet. That single tweet exploded—amassing over 100,000 likes and hundreds of thousands of impressions—transforming a celebrity appearance into a serious dialogue about beauty, race, and public perception.
Praise from Black Communities: “She Looks Like a Woman”
Across Black Twitter, the reactions were overwhelmingly supportive. Users praised Hewitt’s “natural curves,” calling her “gorgeous,” “body tea,” and “the moment.” One user wrote:
“A breath of fresh air—curves, age, confidence, and no fillers? Love to see it.”
Another comment with over 10K likes read:
“Imagine being a grown ass man looking at a middle-aged woman with CHILDREN and the first thing your worm brain comes up with is how she no longer has the body of a teenager.”
These reactions reflect a broader cultural value within Black and Latina communities that celebrates fuller figures, maturity, and real-world womanhood. In those spaces, Hewitt’s look was empowering, not shameful.
But Not Everyone Agreed—And the Divide Was Racial
Criticism soon followed, particularly from white men and women in replies and quote tweets. Phrases like “she’s tubby now,” “looks like a mom,” or “thick in the bad way” flooded the thread.
This reaction wasn’t new. It echoed previous waves of body shaming Jennifer has faced, including during her post-pregnancy transformation and her candid comments in 2023 about being called “unrecognizable” online.
As many pointed out, the backlash wasn’t just about weight—it was also rooted in ageism, misogyny, and white beauty ideals.
Academic Backing: Beauty Standards Have Always Been Racialized
This isn’t just a social media moment—it’s backed by real scholarship. In her groundbreaking book Fearing the Black Body: The Racial Origins of Fat Phobia, sociologist Sabrina Strings explains how Western beauty ideals were shaped by colonialism and slavery, where thinness was associated with white civility and excess weight was weaponized to degrade Black women.
These standards didn’t emerge by accident. They were deliberately constructed to exclude Black women and elevate white femininity—thin, young, and Eurocentric—as the dominant form of beauty.
The same logic shows up in today’s viral moments. Jennifer Love Hewitt, a white woman with a curvier figure in her 40s, is now being judged against a thin ideal many Black women have been policed by for decades. But in this case, it’s Black communities offering praise—and white critics enforcing old norms.
The Ozempic Era and the Pressure to Shrink
This debate is especially timely in what many have dubbed the “Ozempic Era.” That refers a cultural moment where celebrities, influencers, and even TV hosts are praised for drastic weight loss. However, often with the help of prescription drugs designed for diabetes treatment.
Against that backdrop, Hewitt’s unapologetic figure stood out. She wasn’t chasing trend-driven thinness. She was showing up, looking radiant, and clearly embracing the body of a woman who has lived, birthed children, and evolved.
“She’s not trying to be 22 again. And that’s exactly why she’s winning,” one user wrote.
Hollywood’s History of Policing Women’s Bodies
This isn’t the first time Jennifer Love Hewitt has been at the center of a body-based media storm. In 2007, after paparazzi photos of her in a bikini were published, tabloids ruthlessly criticized her weight. At the time, she clapped back. Thus, famously saying, “To all girls with butts, boobs, hips, and a waist, put on a bikini—put it on and stay strong.”
Now, almost two decades later, she’s facing the same rhetoric in a different form—from trolls on X instead of gossip rags.
This Isn’t Just About JLH—It’s About Every Woman Watching
So, this post focuses on Jennifer Love Hewitt. However, the deeper discussion is universal. It’s about what society allows women to look like at 40+. It’s about who gets praised for aging naturally. Also, who gets dragged for it. It’s about who defines “healthy” and “beautiful.”
One comment summarized the bigger picture:
“This is why so many women feel like they have to disappear after 35.”
But for many viewers, Hewitt did the opposite. She showed up in a glamorous gown, smiled for the cameras, and reminded the world that beauty doesn’t expire.
Final Thoughts: Red Carpet Moment, Real-World Impact
Jennifer Love Hewitt’s red carpet appearance was more than just a nostalgic return to the franchise that made her famous. It was a moment of cultural friction—and for many, a revelation.
As the viral post pointed out, the reactions split largely along racial and gender lines. In a society still battling body politics, Hewitt’s presence disrupted expectations and revealed just how far we still have to go.
But maybe that’s what makes her “the moment” for at least one week this summer. She didn’t just show up. She showed out—and the conversation is still going.
In fact, there’s been so much discussion about Hewitt and her figure that the movie she was on the red carpet for is being overlooked. However, at the same time, all of this helps generate more interest in the film.
I Know What You Did Last Summer, the 2025 version, has gotten quite a bit of free promotion. This free promo comes courtesy of one of the film franchise’s biggest stars, Jennifer Love Hewitt.