Ashley Graham is one of our favorite body-positive heroes — and for good reason. The model is constantly keeping things real, continuing to show us unfiltered looks behind the scenes.
In a new interview with V Magazine, Graham revealed that her body positivity comes from a pretty sweet source: her mom.
Graham, who was interviewed by Tracee Ellis Ross for the issue, said that she first found out what cellulite was when she was a pre-teen.
"I remember my first signs of cellulite, in middle school," she said. "I remember telling my mom, 'Isn’t it disgusting? It’s so ugly.' She pulled her pants down and said, 'Look, I have it, too.' And I was like, 'Gasp!' She looked at me, then at it, and just rolled her eyes. She didn’t tell me that it’s beautiful or ugly. She just made it a nonissue. It doesn’t define my worth."
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Though it may seem like a small moment, it was one that obviously informed much of Graham's mindset to this day when it comes to body positivity. Graham has always been transparent about embracing her cellulite to fans and followers — because it really should be a non-issue.
"To this day that sticks with me because I’m here today and I feel that it’s okay to have cellulite," she said.
"In our culture it’s a big, ugly word, but it’s such a normal part of the human body," Ross added. "As women, we’re taught to see through the eyes of other people instead of our own."
However, as Graham noted, she feels that if women like herself and Ross continue to speak out, things like cellulite that are normally seen as "flaws" will become more normalized.
"I wake up sometimes and I feel like the fattest person alive, but I’m not going to let that affect the rest of my day," she told Ross. "Say to yourself, 'I like this day. I am bold, I am beautiful, and I am brilliant.' For me, that hits the interior, the exterior, and it makes me feel smart."