'Being at war with your body is so last season,' the singer says.
Camila Cabello says she feels empowered after clapping back at body shamers on social media.
In a new interview, the "Don't Go Yet" singer opens up about what it was like reading judgmental comments about herself after candid bikini photos of her enjoying a beach day in Miami with boyfriend Shawn Mendes surfaced back in June.
"The whole day I felt insecure," Cabello, 24, tells Bustle. "I felt like it was changing how I was thinking about food and eating … really messing me up."
In response to the pics, Cabello took her power back by addressing the criticism in a now-viral TikTok video.
"I actually felt so liberated when I posted that," she tells the outlet. "After that, I went to the airport and so many women were coming up to me like, 'I saw that TikTok and it resonated with me so much.' I actually feel my body insecurities went down after I posted that because I was like, 'No matter what pictures come out or what people say, I'm now controlling the narrative.'"
"You can work out a few hours a day and never eat carbs and whatever, but that's just not a balanced life. That's not what I want… I can't change to fit that mold," she continues. "I'm going to wear whatever, and if there's paparazzi around, that sucks, but I'm not going to completely reroute who I am for that."
@camilacabello i luv my body
♬ original sound - Camila Cabello
Cabello's new mantra these days? Self-love, she says, because "being at war with your body is so last season."
As ET previously reported, Cabello shared a powerful message about embracing her imperfections in July. While sitting in her car after a run, the Cinderella star expressed how grateful she is for her body, flaws and all.
"I was just running in the park, minding my own business trying to be fit, trying to keep it healthy. And I am wearing a top that shows my belly, and I wasn't tucking it in," she said. "Because I was running and existing like a normal person that doesn't tuck it in all the time."
"I am grateful for this body that lets me do what I need to do," she added. "We are real women with curves and cellulite and stretch marks and fat. And we gotta own that, baby."
Hear more in the video below.
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