Katharine McPhee slams 'haters' who criticized David Foster's postpartum body compliments: 'I'm sorry but we are not sorry'
Katharine McPhee has a message to the “haters” who criticized her husband David Foster over his complimentary Instagram post about McPhee’s post-baby body.
Earlier this week, the Smash alum received some social media praise from the music producer, with whom she welcomed her first child in February. In the caption of a photo of McPhee looking toned in a black bikini, Foster wrote, “what baby!” — joking that his wife did not look like she had recently given birth.
While many followers loved that Foster was sending his wife love, others pointed out that the post could perpetuate the idea that women need to snap back to their pre-baby bodies quickly. Others noted that McPhee has been candid about battling body image issues and an eating disorder, and that the post put unnecessary focus on her body.
One person who loved the post, however, was McPhee herself. She took to her own Instagram on Dec. 30 to share a photo of herself sporting a red bathing suit, along with a lengthy caption in which she defended her spouse from the backlash.
“I’m sorry but we are not sorry,” the American Idol alum wrote. “And for all of you who can’t deal with it maybe this helps. I’ve struggled with weight my whole 20s and 30. I’ve gone up and down 10 times over. Does that make you feel better? There is nothing wrong with that, most people do.”
She added that she lost her “baby weight” without diet, adding, “diets are the worst and I’ve had zero pressure from anyone.”
“I’ve let my body do its thing and found a great workout. That’s it. And guess what? I’ll probably gain weight again at some point too. Who cares? BUT people freaking out about what my husband captioned seriously get a life,” she continued. “Stop being so offended by what people post who have zero impact on your life and move on. Maybe you should have more of an attitude of like, let’s say… ‘oh that’s nice he thinks his wife is hot.’ I cannot with this overly sensitive society right now. But as Taylor Swift said, haters gonna hate. Byeeee.”
McPhee received tons of praise for her words — including from her stepdaughters. Erin Foster wrote, “If I can accept my step mom looking like this, you certainly should be able to. The photo wasn’t altered or filtered and she’s had no surgery. You can’t shame someone for feeling cute after a baby whether she’s sharing stretch marks or a six pack. Let her live.”
Sara Foster added, “If you had cellulite and stretch marks in the photo and the caption was exactly the same we would all be celebrating his post. But you don’t and that’s not allowed to be celebrated. Also, you had a baby almost a year ago, not yesterday. You have been working your ass off in the gym. Let’s complain about women and husbands who post 3 week postpartum pics with their full body lipo, filters and altering apps that make us all feel like shit. People are crazy.”
McPhee previously spoke out about learning to love her pregnancy body after worrying that she would have an eating disorder relapse. She explained on Dr. Berlin’s Informed Pregnancy Podcast, “I weathered it and I’m really grateful I’m at the end of it, that I feel this good. I look in the mirror and I’m like, ‘Yeah, my legs, thighs, arms are a little bit thicker, but I’m OK with it.’ I’m really OK with it.”
Want lifestyle and wellness news delivered to your inbox? Sign up here for Yahoo Life’s newsletter.