TV news reporter hits back at body-shaming viewer who said she looks 'ridiculous'

Social media users leapt the her defence

Rachel Hosie
Thursday 09 November 2017 10:31 GMT
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TV news reporter hits back at body-shaming viewer who said she looks 'ridiculous'

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An American TV news reporter has spoken out in response to a woman who bodyshamed her on social media.

Demetria Obilor works for ABC’s WFAA in Dallas, but Facebook user Jan Shedd felt the need to publicly comment on her appearance and outfits, saying she looks “ridiculous.”

In a now deleted post, Shedd wrote: “Has anyone seen Channel 8’s new morning traffic reporter? Her name is Demetria Obilor & she’s a size 16/18 woman in a size 6 dress and she looks ridiculous.

“I understand that when I watch Channel 8 I’m going to get biased reporting and political correctness, but clearly they have taken complete leave of their senses. I’m not going to watch Channel 8 anymore.”

(Twitter/fabfreshandfly
(Twitter/fabfreshandfly (Twitter/fabfreshandfly)

Social media users leapt to Obilor’s defence, with the story going viral after Chance the Rapper tweeted about it.

Many pointed out that Obilor in fact has an amazing figure and sense of style.

“Jan is JEALOUS! I WISH I was as SEXXY as Demetria,” wrote one woman on Twitter.

“She is wearing the hell out that dress,” said a supporter.

“That dress was literally made for her,” added another.

Obilor herself responded to the online storm surrounding her appearance in a video posted to her social media channels.

“The controversy, it’s coming from people who aren’t too happy with the way that I look on television saying ‘oh her body is too big for that dress’, or ‘she’s too curvy’, or ‘her hair is unprofessional, it’s crazy, we don’t like it’.

“A quick word to those people: this is the way that I’m built, this is the way I was born, I’m not going anywhere, so if you don’t like it you have your options.”

She thanked the public for their support before calling for more tolerance of people looking different to one another.

“We don’t have to put up with this and we’re not going to.”

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