Being the target of jokes on social media, according to Chloe Grace Moretz, exacerbated her body dysmorphia.
The 25-year-old actress pondered on the "horrific memes" made about her that led her to feel "very self-conscious" about her physique in a recent interview published by Hunger Magazine. She remembered the time when a paparazzi shot of her immediately became associated with a Family Guy joke.
I've actually never really talked about this, but one meme of mine carrying a pizza box into a hotel had a big impact on me, said Moretz. It was one of the most popular memes at the time when the image was altered to resemble a Family Guy character with long legs and a short torso.
Moretz said that it was challenging to move past the incident since individuals around her were downplaying how she felt.
"When I brought up how people were making fun of my body with someone, they said, "Oh, shut the f— up, it's funny." My body is being used as a joke, and it's something about who I am that I cannot change, and it's being shared all over Instagram, I just remember sitting there and thinking "She spoke to the source.
She said, "It was something as innocent as coming into a motel with leftovers. And it's still difficult for me to get over that meme when I see it today.
The Kick-Ass actress claimed that the viral moment made her depressed and that she no longer enjoyed being photographed, adding that she needed a lot of counselling to help her deal with it.
"I used to enjoy dressing up, going to a carpet, and taking pictures, but it stripped a layer off it and made me feel so self-conscious," Moretz added. "And I believe that the problems with social media have exacerbated body dysmorphia, a problem that affects everyone in this world. A headf—-, that."
I pretty much become a recluse," she said to Hunger. "It was amazing because I was able to be myself and get away from the photographers, and I had a lot of moments that no one documented, but it also made me really uncomfortable when I was being photographed. I would start hyperventilating and my heart rate would increase."
In the interview, Moretz acknowledged that she was grateful for the COVID-19 pandemic's capacity to help her avoid unwanted attention.
She stated, adding that it was a "period of introspection," "I just put a hat on, put a mask on, and then put my hood up and would be able to get away with a lot more, like go to a concert or bite my lip or have unverified pimples."
It would be an understatement to say that these last two years have been revolutionary, according to Moretz. "I've changed a lot from the girl I was. I suddenly feel feminine."
