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Teen Bullied and Body-Shamed in Viral Prom Photo Is Back and Better Than Ever

Tayja Jones-Banks, a high school student who was bullied for her prom look in 2016, recently shared photos of her 2017 prom look.
Tayja Jones-Banks, a high school student who was bullied for her prom look in 2016, recently shared photos of her 2017 prom look. (Photo: Tayja Jones/Instagram)

High school student Tayja Jones-Banks was bullied after posting photos of her prom look in 2016. The comments attacking her personal appearance affected her at the time — but she was determined to approach this year’s big dance with a positive mindset.

The 18-year-old senior at Pottsgrove High School in Pottsgrove, Penn., shared images on her Instagram account from the special night.

This what Y'all was waiting for ????????✨???? #Prom2k17 #SeniorYear ????

A post shared by Tayja Jones (@officialtayjajones) on May 20, 2017 at 10:32pm PDT

She wore an embellished pink dress to the event and carried a silver clutch that matched the detailing on her gown.

Her photos were met with incredibly positive comments. One user commented, “You looked breathtakingly beautiful! I hope you had a blast, doll.” Another added, “Love the color and style!! You look phenomenal.”

Jones-Banks tells Yahoo Style that her experience with the negative comments last year didn’t affect her thought process while picking out this year’s prom dress — but it did give her some anxiety about going to the dance.

Jones-Banks shared photos of her 2017 prom look.
Jones-Banks shared photos of her 2017 prom look. (Photo: Tayja Jones/Instagram)

However, she learned a valuable lesson from going viral in 2016, which shaped her attitude for this year’s dance.

Jones at prom in 2016. (Photo: Twitter)
Jones at prom in 2016. (Photo: Twitter)

“I learned every one is going to comment on something, so I learned to be comfortable in my own skin,” she says.

Jones-Banks posed with family and friends before prom.
Jones-Banks posed with family and friends before her prom. (Photo: Tayja Jones/Instagram)

Despite being confident in her own skin, Jones-Banks was initially wary about sharing her prom photos again on social media.

“I was afraid to post any photos this year because of last year, but then I realized that I liked what I looked like, and that’s all that matters,” she says. We couldn’t agree more.

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