Blake Lively interviewed Gigi Hadid for Harper's Bazaar's May issue and, in the process. revealed a little about her complicated relationship with Photoshop. Photoshop, in 2018, is often derided as a tool that bolsters unrealistic beauty standards. But Lively has a different take. She argues that people shouldn't compare themselves to photos in magazines — the people in magazines are supposed to look that way.
"It’s our job as actors and/or models to be in shape. We have access to gyms and trainers and healthy food," she said, adding, "And then on top of that, 99.9 percent of the time the images are Photoshopped. I’m guilty myself of being at a photo shoot and saying, 'That looks terrible on me.' And they’re like, 'We’ll fix it.' And you’re so relieved."
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Lively and Hadid — both very visible women — discussed the realities of working in an industry predicated on being "ideal." Hadid has previously been very open about her struggle with Hashimoto's, an autoimmune condition that affects the thyroid. It causes hypothyroidism, a slowing down of the thyroid, which results in symptoms like fatigue and weight gain. Hadid revealed during a panel in 2016 that she'd been taking medication for Hashimoto's for almost two years. In her interview with Harper's Bazaar, she explained that this process changed her body. She lost weight, and, as per her recent interview, received criticism for it.
"I’m not skinny because I gave in to the industry. When I had a more athletic figure, I was proud of my body because I was an amazing volleyball player and horseback rider. But after discovering that I have Hashimoto’s, I needed to eat healthy and workout," she told Lively. She added, "If I could choose, I would have my ass back and I would have the tits I had a few years ago. But, honestly, we can’t look back with regret. I loved my body then, and I love my body now."