Model Lauren Chan slams 'dangerous' hate after beauty standards interview

A Canadian size-inclusive model is slamming fatphobic critics after she did an interview on evolving beauty standards with Sports Illustrated.

Lauren Chan made her debut as the new 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit rookie in April, with a vulnerable first-person story on getting divorced, coming out as gay in her 30s, and dismantling beauty standards.

This week, the magazine shared an interview clip with Chan, in which she says change is "unavoidable."

"Beauty changes all the time, as an industry, personally, interpersonally. For example, we're all getting older in a culture that tells us aging is the worst possible thing you could do... And I think the best thing to do is just wash your hands off it — say 'that's not for me,'" Chan told the magazine.

"Although we're supposed to feel beauty is absolute... the fact that it changes every three years implicitly proves it is not absolute. So don't believe it.

"S— changes; get on board," she said in the clip.

On Wednesday afternoon, the model took to her Instagram stories to share that her team made her aware of negative feedback left in the comments of an article covering the interview clip.

"I'm laughing because I was just reading an article... I'm talking about the fact that the beauty deal is a falsehood, and the fact that the beauty deal changes every three years," she began telling her followers.

"And the comments on this post, that is kind of like an intellectual take on body image — and not at all about what I look like — are wild."

Chan then invited her followers to join her in "laughing at these" comments, which she said was her way of coping with the negativity.

She then shared three screenshots of comments.

"Obesity should not be celebrated," read one comment from a user named John.

"Men are the consumers of female beauty and we do not and have never wanted fat women... Men with options don't pick fat girls," another person wrote.

Model Chan called these comments "dangerous" in her story.

"I also wanted to take a moment and get serious here because reading these really made me feel like my work is important," she admitted.

"And sometimes I feel that our work is a little frivolous. Obviously, that's an effect of being taught that women's industries and women's focuses are frivolous."

Chan said she wants this to be a reminder that just because she, and likely her followers, are living in an inclusive environment, that's not the norm for the outside world.

"This hate is so dangerous," she added.

"Know that every time you show up in your life, and just be inclusive of a marginalized community, whether that's for yourself or other folks, you're doing something good."

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