Comedian Celeste Barber has copped a bit of flack after commenting on an influencer's postpartum body post. Photo / Getty Images
Comedian Celeste Barber has copped a bit of flack after commenting on an influencer's postpartum body post. Photo / Getty Images
Celeste Barber is copping serious heat over her comments regarding Tammy Hembrow's post-baby body.
The influencer had shared a series of photos on Instagram showing her flat stomach two weeks after giving birth to her third child Posy to promote her fitness app.
Barber called the photos "dangerous" and urgedothers not to compare their bodies, or feel the need to "show off" after pregnancy.
While initially many agreed with Celeste, the tidal wave of backlash has since changed direction after Hembrow responded to the comments.
On Saturday, Hembrow shared a photo of herself in lingerie and wrote: "this body created life x 3".
In the comments section, she then added: "And I'll wear whatever I want @celestebarber."
The fitness influencer – who has more than 15 million followers – later deleted her clapback, but not before it had been picked up by eagle-eyed fans and widely circulated.
It prompted an avalanche of support for the new mum, with some even claiming Barber – who is best known for her parodies of supermodels – is a "bully".
"Celeste has always trashed other women, it became old very quickly. If you're [sic] whole image is mocking others how do you then tell another influencer what is best for women?" one woman argued.
'This is dangerous', Celeste wrote while commenting on Tammy's post baby bikini photos. Picture / Instagram/CelesteBarber
"She does nothing but mock and pull the piss out of other women. She doesn't create a safe space for anyone and I'm glad she's been called out. About time," another said.
Another added: "Completely agree. Celeste is funny, but making fun of women who's jobs it is to flaunt their bodies online (models, influencers etc) is body shaming. Spoof something new, maybe?"
"Yeah Celeste doesn't do comedy she does bullying," one person agreed.
Another person said: "Celeste's brand of comedy has morphed into bullying/being plain rude. At first she was making fun of beauty standards put onto women.
"It was refreshing. It felt in good fun. It no longer seems like beauty standards are her targets, but the people themselves."
Not everyone agreed though, with many arguing "Celeste didn't tell Tammy to cover up" so it wasn't "body shaming".
"She's not being told to cover up. I think a lot of these comments are being defensive for no reason, did people read what she said?" one wrote on Instagram.
"She isn't telling her to cover up or shaming her – she is asking her to be conscious of her messaging. Trying to sell your fitness programme to women 12 days after giving birth is insane. Women don't need pressure to look like that after giving birth," another weighed in.
The backlash backflip came after Barber argued Hembrow was peddling a "dangerous" message to fans about how their bodies should look after birth.
Comedian Celeste Barber has copped a bit of flack after commenting on an influencers postpartum body post.
"Women should NEVER feel as though they need to put on activewear and show off their bodies, to prove a point ESPECIALLY 12 days after having a baby. 12 DAYS!," Barber posted to her Instagram story.
"Jeez I was sh***ing in a bag and screaming into a pillow after having my babies. How we look is irrelevant.
"Be kind to yourselves, moisturise your nipples and unfollow accounts that make you feel like sh*t!"
Hembrow had attempted to quell the backlash in her post by acknowledging people shouldn't compare themselves to others.
"I stayed as active as possible before and during my pregnancy on my @tammyhembrowfitness programs," she wrote in her now controversial post.
"I honestly feel like my core was at its best in my whole life just before I fell pregnant with Posy so I'm excited to see what I can do this time round after baby number 3! Can't wait to get into some hard and heavy TammyFit at 6 weeks [post-partum]."
