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Victoria Beckham Under Fire Again For Using A 'Too Skinny' Model

This isn't the first (nor the second) time Beckham has faced this criticism.
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By 

Style Writer, The Huffington Post UK

Victoria Beckham is facing more criticism from people claiming she uses ‘unhealthy’ models to showcase her fashion collection.

The new controversy comes after Beckham posted behind-the-scenes photos from her Pre-AW17 fittings on Instagram, including the below shot of French model Marine Deleeuw.

Hundreds of commenters called out the pop-star-turned-designer for sending a “damaging” message to her fans, due to Deleeuw’s weight.

“Victoria, we love you, but promoting models like this is really damaging to our young girls,” one Instagram user wrote.

“Models like this make it impossible for my size to be accepted in society,” another added.

“Even a grown up like me can’t have this is my feed,” another commenter said, before adding that the image looked like it should be on a “pro-ana” website.

Other Instagram users claimed that Deleeuw was suffering from an eating disorder.

A spokesperson for Beat, the UK’s leading charity supporting people affected by eating disorders, told The Huffington Post UK that it is dangerous for people to make judgements like this based on people’s appearances.

“Eating disorders are serious mental illnesses,” they said. “It is not possible to tell just by looking at someone whether they have an eating disorder, and their causes are complex, including biological factors as well as social and environmental factors.

Earlier this year, another of Beckham’s models, Chantal Habscheid, was heavily criticised for being “unhealthy”.

The body-shaming on social media became so bad, Habscheid’s mother stepped in to defend her daughter.

“This model is beautiful, hard working and has genetics, like all of us, that predisposition her body to look a certain way,” she wrote on Instagram.

Before You Go

Men And Women Who Inspire Positive Body Image
James Corden(01 of17)
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He stripped off in an underwear advert spoof alongside David Beckham. The message: "Beauty is skin deep, it's underneath that counts."He also wrote an open letter which was published by Glamour magazine in which he asks people to accept themselves for who they are. "Respect your body. It is what it is, so embrace it," he wrote. "Love every scar, ripple, and imperfection, and you won’t need others to do it for you." (credit:FOX via Getty Images)
David Beckham(02 of17)
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Davey B stars alongside James Corden in the underwear spoof for D&J briefs to promote healthy body image and the idea that beauty is only skin deep. (credit:J. Countess via Getty Images)
Serena Willliams (03 of17)
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Serena Willliams was told she is "built like a man" by Twitter trolls, but that didn't stop her being super body confident."I love that I am a full woman and I’m strong and I’m powerful and I’m beautiful at the same time," she said. "And there’s nothing wrong with that." (credit:TIMOTHY A. CLARY via Getty Images)
Lupita Nyong'o(04 of17)
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Lupita Nyong'o has spoken out against the lack of diversity in the media saying: "European standards of beauty are something that plague the entire world—the idea that darker skin is not beautiful, that light skin is the key to success and love."She also loves her skin, as proven by her appearance in a brilliant Sesame Street sketch. (credit:Joel Ryan/Invision/AP)
Matt McGorry(05 of17)
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The Orange Is The New Black star spoke openly about his body concerns during his first shirtless scene on OITNB. He told Yahoo: "I was obsessively dieting, and when I saw that scene before the show ever came out, I thought I had blown it. I was like, 'Oh no! I didn't get as lean as I could've'. But then the show came out, and no one said anything negative about it, and it's funny because from one perspective you could say, 'Oh, he's letting himself go,' but from another perspective, I just don't need that validation I once did."I still love working out, and I think it's good for my health, and I feel good doing it. But I think with mental health, allowing myself to be who I am naturally in terms of my body, I think that's sort of practicing more self-love that way." (credit:Jennifer Lourie via Getty Images)
Prince Fielder(06 of17)
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Fielder is a baseball player for the Texas Rangers who was featured on the front page of ESPN magazine, naked. The photograph of him was attacked on social media. The baseball player has since spoken out and said that just because a person is plus-size, it doesn't mean they can't be athletic.In an interview with ESPN.com, he said: “A lot of people probably think I’m not athletic or don’t even try to work out or whatever, but I do. Just because you’re big doesn’t mean you can’t be an athlete. And just because you work out doesn’t mean you’re going to have a 12-pack. I work out to make sure I can do my job to the best of my ability. Other than that, I’m not going up there trying to be a fitness model.” (credit:Ronald Martinez via Getty Images)
Tess Holliday (07 of17)
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Lines like this are why we love Tess Holliday: "It's okay to be yourself, even if you happen to exist in a fat body. I'm sexy, confident and give no fucks. Also, fuck anyone for saying otherwise. " (credit:Curve Fashion Festival)
Gok Wan(08 of17)
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The presenter is an advocate for body confidence in both men and women. He has been incredibly open about his struggles with obesity growing up. He presented a show called Gok's Teens: The Naked Truth, which looked at body image in young people. He also launched a campaign to get body image classes taught in schools across the country. (credit:Dave M. Benett via Getty Images)
Chrissy Teigen(09 of17)
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Chrissy Teigen proved even models aren't perfect when she posted a picture of her stretch marks on Instagram.Her post promoted comments like: "I've had stretch marks since I was 12 years old at 5'9". So important for young girls and now 29 year olds to see." (credit:Michael Loccisano via Getty Images)
Ben Cohen(10 of17)
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The former rugby player has spoken openly about the importance of standing up to bullies. He launched the Ben Cohen Stand Up foundation to raise awareness of the long-term, damaging effects of bullying and to raise funds to support those doing real-world work to stop it.Earlier this year, Cohen was fat-shamed by the Mail Online. "It is time we stand up for what is right and support people who are being harmed. Every person on this planet has a right to be true to themselves, to love and be loved, and to be happy," he said. (credit:Jason Kempin via Getty Images)
Kate Winslet (11 of17)
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Actress Kate Winslet is determined to help her daughter develop a healthy body image."When I grew up, I never heard positive reinforcement about body image from any female in my life," she said. "I only ever heard negatives. That's very damaging because then you're programmed as a young woman to immediately scrutinise yourself and how you look.""And so I stand in front of the mirror and say to Mia, 'We are so lucky that we've got a shape. We're so lucky we're curvy. We're so lucky that we've got good bums.' And she'll say, 'Mummy, I know, thank God.' It's working, that thing that I've been doing. It's paying off." (credit:Matt Crossick/Matt Crossick)
Robert Pattinson(12 of17)
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The Twilight actor has been open about his struggles with Body Dysmorphia (BDD), an obsessive anxiety disorder which is characterised by the individual's preoccupation with flaws in his or her appearance which are unnoticeable to others.In the process, he's helped raise awareness of the disorder among men. (credit:Jason Kempin via Getty Images)
Demi Lovato (13 of17)
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Having previously opened up about her struggles with an eating disorder, Demi Lovato posed for an un-touched nude photo featured on the cover of Vanity Fair."I basically went from hating every single inch of my body to working on myself and trying to figure out ways to love myself and love the skin that I'm in," she said in an accompanying interview."I learned after working very hard on my spirituality and my soul and my body, I learned that you can get to a place where you love the skin that you're in and I'm excited to share that with the world." (credit:Vanity Fair)
Ashley Graham (14 of17)
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Model Ashley Graham refuses to be defined by her size."It’s fantastic when I’m not labeled as a plus size model in any interview or editorial I do," she told HuffPost UK Style."It makes a statement for women out there, 'look she’s not being described by her size, she’s being honoured by the things that she’s doing in the world'." (credit:Andy Kropa /Invision/AP)
Amy Schumer(15 of17)
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When a film critic called actress and comedian Amy Schumer "chubby", she responded by saying: "I am a US size 6 and have no plans of changing. This is it. Stay on or get off."Brilliant. (credit:Jordan Strauss/Invision/AP)
Jameela Jamil (16 of17)
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Jameela Jamil has launched an inclusive clothing range to end the plus-size divide once and for all.“I find it infuriating that in this industry, size 10 and above is defined as ‘plus size’ especially when the average dress size in the UK is a 16," she said."We really shouldn’t be putting a label on size, fashion is for all and I think confidence and happiness is more important than dress labels.” (credit:David M. Benett via Getty Images)
Alexa Chung (17 of17)
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Alexa Chung has been skinny-shamed and called "gross" by online trolls, but instead of letting the haters get her down, she's become a spokesperson for body diversity in the media."I would love to look like Daisy Lowe, but I don't... but I'm happy with how I look. Equally, I don't want to use this as an example of how young girls should look," she said. (credit:KGC-146/STAR MAX/IPx)
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