Melissa McCarthy has made a name for herself in the Hollywood comedy world. Her natural ability to make viewers laugh and cry and really connect with each character she plays has helped solidify her reputation as one of this generation’s best comedic actresses.
Unfortunately, as is the case for so many female entertainers, she has been subject to criticism about her weight throughout her entire career.
Most notoriously, journalist and film critic Rex Reed of the New York Observer commented on McCarthy’s weight in response to her film Identity Thief, referring to her as “tractor-sized Melissa McCarthy” and calling her a “gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success.”
Melissa’s cousin, Jenny McCarthy, was having none of this.
“That’s obnoxious in itself,” Jenny told E! News at the time. “For anyone to attack like that, it’s just wrong and hurtful, and it doesn’t do anyone any good.”
“I don’t have the whole story, but, I do know that, after being in this business 20 years, it’s really crummy that you get attacked in your personal life in general,” she added.
Director Ben Falcone Defends Melissa McCarthy From Critics Who Slam Her Weight; Calls Wife “Smart, Kind, Funny, and Crazy Funny”of McCarthy’s 2011 film Bridesmaids, Paul Feig, joined Jenny in her remarks by tweeting, “For his catty and school bully name-calling of the supremely talented Melissa McCarthy, I cordially invite Mr. Rex Reed to go f–k himself.”
Melissa has opened up about her weight gain and loss journeys countless times to outlets, including to US Weekly in 2013 where she stated, “I’ve been every size in the world.”
“Parts of my twenties, I was in great shape, but I didn’t appreciate it,” she continued. “If I was a six or an eight, I thought, ‘Why aren’t I a two or a four?’ Now I feel like I have two great kids and the dreamiest husband on the planet, and everything else is just a work in progress.”
That dreamy husband of her’s, Ben Falcone, has truly and faithfully stuck by her through it all. The two have been married since 2005 and have since welcomed two daughters, Vivian and Georgette.
Although Ben hasn’t necessarily spoken publicly about her weight critics, he absolutely showers her with love and affection time and time again to remind her just how beautiful she is, inside and out.
Many of these affectionate praises can be found on his Instagram.
On her 51st birthday in 2021, he posted a throwback photo of the two of them, writing, “This was taken at a friend’s wedding, maybe 14 years ago. We had a good time. It was a fun wedding, but also Melissa makes everything fun – just by being herself. I’m such a lucky fella to be married to someone so smart, kind, beautiful and crazy funny. Happy birthday Mooch, love you!”
The couple even went against the status quo of fashion for the 2019 Vanity Fair Oscars party when they showed up in matching Adidas tracksuits instead of a flashy dress and tux, which was received with a number of mixed reactions.
“I’m sure it threw everybody into a tizzy because the idea came to me the day before the Oscars,” Melissa told E! News. “I asked, ‘Can we wear matching tracksuits?’ And someone was like, ‘For tomorrow? Like, that both fit?’ It’s not that easy. I just wanted to be in tennies and tracksuits. It just seemed so funny to me and so comfortable.”
“I have never been flipped off or told to f–k off as much as at that party [laughs], and it was all done, uh, jokingly, but also with something real behind it,” she continued. “[After the ceremony] everyone put on a different dress and different heels. They just totally were like, ‘You go f–k yourself [for wearing a tracksuit].’ My response was, ‘Oh, OK, I’m going to go dance pretty hard right now.’”
So for everyone who wants to come at Melissa for her weight, I leave you with her cousin Jenny’s final remark on Reed’s criticism, “She’s very, very talented, and people know that,” and so for all of you still concerned for how she looks, “go to Hell.”
Sources:
https://www.womenshealthmag.com/weight-loss/g23131238/melissa-mccarthy-weight-loss/
