GABBY SIDIBE: "I'm Confident With My Weight, But I Get Shaken In This Business"

Oct 04 | by Natasha

It's rare that we hear Oscar nominated actress Gabourey Sidibe speaking so directly about her weight and image in Hollywood. But at last weekend's 2012 Women In Entertainment (WIE) Symposium in New York, the feisty chick made it clear she's confident with her weight. Even though the business shakes her up a bit.

Get her words inside...

"The Big C" star told an audience full of women that she made a conscious decision to be happy with herself. And it's made her the confident fun-loving woman she is today. And she likely would have never taken her break out role in Precious if she didn't have this confidence:

“I didn’t really get to grow up hearing that I was beautiful a lot, or that I was worth anything nor did I grow up seeing myself on TV. Then at some point when I was 21 or 22 I just decided that life wasn’t worth living if I wasn’t happy with myself so I just took all the steps that I could to figure out how to love myself and become confident. Truthfully speaking if I hadn’t found this person before that movie [Precious] I wouldn’t have even be in that movie."

The funny 29-year-old also gave a rare insight into her insecurities and what shakes her in this business. And she told a story about seeing her face on a tabloid that said she weighed 250 pounds:

“People see me as a confident person but I get shaken a lot, especially being in this business. A few weeks ago I was on vacation and I went into a CVS [a pharmacy chain of shops in the US] and as I’m paying I see a picture of myself on the cover of a magazine and they’re guesstimating what my weight is? The headline was 'Gabourey Sidibe 250 pounds'." In that moment she had to deal with not only the cashier seeing the horrible and inaccurate article, but also everyone else in the shop and in other shops.

And just how does she keep it moving when she feels down in this business?

“I have to keep going and living my life, so when things like that upset me I have to find things that build my confidence back up. Because I don’t want to wait for work I want to make work."

By the way, she also revealed that she plans to start writing scripts and working behind the camera pretty soon. We already love it.

Source

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by Cassuairtall
8:38 am - Mar 31, '13

Let's be honest, Hollywood is

Let's be honest, Hollywood is a bitch. She should be comfortable in her skin, but how in the hell does she expect to get a variety of roles if she doesn't want to lose weight?

by Jernero94
3:51 pm - Oct 8, '12

"HAMZ A MAKE HER DANCE, HAMZ

"HAMZ A MAKE HER DANCE, HAMZ A MAKE HER DANCE!!"

by tori
9:29 pm - Oct 5, '12

Gabby does need to be

Gabby does need to be concerned about her health. In the industry of course she will be told to lose weight, because that's how the " Industry" wants to see her. I pray she doeslook out for her health.

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by tom082
11:36 am - Oct 5, '12

Shes beautiful, but in my

Shes beautiful, but in my opinion she does need to lose weight, on the strength of health reasons, its ok to be thick, but she's a lil bit too thick. Im a thick girl myself, but I'm taller and my body is more proportionate, my husband loves my size. She shouldnt lose the weight for cosmetic reasons, but for health.

by hazelbeauty
10:36 am - Oct 5, '12

I think Gabby is a beautiful

I think Gabby is a beautiful person inside and out..she has to be to put up with comments about her weight all the time...you go Gabby...be confident in your skin.

by Lola
10:30 am - Oct 5, '12

...that's a lot of skin...

by allnatural
2:23 pm - Oct 5, '12

I'm over here CTFU at

I'm over here CTFU at work....these comments are funny as hell! Being confident about your weight is cool if you're thick....not morbidly obese. She's going to die at an early age and all the idiots around her telling her that she's fine are going to feel like doo doo. I pray she gets it together. I hate to block her paper cuz she's a good actress, but ALL of Hollywood should stop freakin hiring her until she gets healthy! They're coddling her big self!

by PinkyDaGoddess
9:57 am - Oct 5, '12

250 is an error? Ok...maybe

250 is an error? Ok...maybe she just looks a little heavier. I can't say anything because I am heavy but I am also taller.

by Mz. Opinionated
9:41 am - Oct 5, '12

only in america can being

only in america can being greedy as hell be called a "disease". Ive had some good food in my life but nothing ever tasted good enough to make me wanna stretch out my belly like that.

by shuga
9:07 am - Oct 5, '12

See u just stoopid.

See u just stoopid. LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by LaFord
10:05 am - Oct 5, '12

LMFAO!!!!

by PinkyDaGoddess
9:47 am - Oct 5, '12

FRIGGA HAIR really appreciate

FRIGGA HAIR really appreciate what she said. she is brave!!!

by FRIGGA HAIR
8:56 am - Oct 5, '12

it's not the weight. she is

it's not the weight. she is jsut not attractive. maybe a new make up artist that won't make her look so greasy and shiney. and lighten up the Neck. Does she really own the Pig Foot Palace.

by lola69
8:38 am - Oct 5, '12

I understand where she's

I understand where she's coming from. I don't applaude being at an unhealthy weight, but in order to change that lifestyle, you do have to love who you are first. I was in her shoes, but I was very unhappy with being heavy. I had to learn to love myself at any weight first before I could begin to grow and actually start working out to change who I was. I started working out and lost weight, I got pregnant immediately after I lost weight! Now, I'm gaining it back, but it's all good because I am SO HAPPY about the life growing inside of me, but I still have my gym membership and when I'm not overcome by sleep, I hit that treadmill! LOL!!! Hopefully, she will eventually do what's right for her health, but she's right, you have to love yourself at any stage!

by Michelle Gaston
7:51 am - Oct 5, '12

You are speaking the truth

You are speaking the truth right now. I too am glad that Gabby is confident in herself, but did you notice that she even admitted to being shook by peoples negative reaction to her??? She may think it's just a reaction to her weight, but I personally think (like you said) that she's shaken by the fact that she is unhappy from being unhealthy. Because she is unhealthy. I hope she realizes that she doesn't have to be a size zero to be healthy. J-Hud can attest to that. Keeping a healthy weight is key, and that doesn't mean you have to be Halle Berry's size (and trust, I'm don't find Halle that attractive)

by Donald Tai
1:40 am - Oct 6, '12

well atleast she dressed

well atleast she dressed appropriate, shoes dont go with it tho

by monash
7:50 am - Oct 5, '12

is she pregnant???

by monash
7:48 am - Oct 5, '12

This reminds me of Monique 8

This reminds me of Monique 8 years ago when she used to perform her I hate skinny bit**es comedy set. She was always praising being fat and curvy..until she got the money to hire a personal trainer, nutritionist, (surgeon) to make her skinny. You can see a complete change in her being able to fit into clothes less than a size 20.

by BEEMA
7:37 am - Oct 5, '12

You are correct..Gabby need

You are correct..Gabby need people around her telling her its OK to be happy with yourself but she needs to lose weight for her health and that is not OK to be FAT and unhealthy, we have kids who need to hear that you can lose the weight and live longer

by Freddie Jenkins
7:44 am - Oct 5, '12

Lawd-ham-mercy!!!

by RO
4:55 am - Oct 5, '12

Gabby WISH she was 250. She

Gabby WISH she was 250. She would've been more convincing had she said, "325".

by My Moniker Is...
1:15 am - Oct 5, '12

SMH @ some of the hateful

SMH @ some of the hateful comments........ how do some of you sleep at night??? how will you feel if you were on the receiving end???........ so many words out there and you all use the ones venting with hate........I pray that you all stay perfect in your perfect lil world......smh.... Gabby i know you may be shaken and not stirred, words will hurt but work on you, more so a healthy you..... your personality is just so sweet :) be BLESSED ....

by Faye Brathwaite
12:32 am - Oct 5, '12

There is nothing to be

There is nothing to be confident about in being morbidly obese. It is unhealthy and a gluttonous lazy lifestyle. She needs to stop teaching other young black women that it is okay to embrace fat, it is not. Her stylists and the rest of those in her camp are making a fool of her. She looks ridiculous in that tight fitting dress revealing her stomach. This is nothing more than white media conditioning black women into accepting and embracing being overweight. You don't see them marketing fat white women like this. She needs to stop and you people need to stop encouraging her, she is in denial.

by MasterClass
9:25 pm - Oct 4, '12

LOL! Y'all are way too

LOL! Y'all are way too funny! Gabby, no offense, nut you are one ugly female. Even if you lost the weight, you'd still be ugly. God loves a truthful heart, and that's my truth, my eyes and heart don't lie and America frowns upon fatties...no matter your status or level of talent...and that's fact. I can pnly respect it, at least folk are being honest and not lying about how they REALLY feel.

by Carmen CaBoom
8:30 pm - Oct 4, '12

You are not being truthful

You are not being truthful you are being downright CRUEL! I pray you never have a daughter otherwise you will be bullying her too. Yes Gaby is morbidly obese and she knows and people know it but if she decides to take care of her health I am pretty sure she's going to be a gorgous woman she is she just needs to lose weight. What if you daughter was the same weight as her, would you be calling her ugly too? They should have given you the role of Monique, you sound just about as hatefu as she was in the movie! No worry bullied people kill themselves if assholes like on this planet! Don't procreate for the sake of humanity!

by RU4REAL84
6:20 am - Oct 5, '12

Gabby is UNATTRACTIVE!! IF

Gabby is UNATTRACTIVE!! IF she lost weight, AT BEST she would look like WHOOPI GOLDBERG in THE COLOR PURPLE!! She will NEVER be "GORGEOUS!!"

by tori
6:50 pm - Oct 5, '12

Now between me & you, Gabby

Now between me & you, Gabby looks like BIGGIE SMALLS (Rip) IN DRAG and why does it look like she sweat BACON FAT, she always looks oily??

by tori
9:30 pm - Oct 4, '12

She sure does look like

She sure does look like Biggie...Wow.

by Carmen CaBoom
10:33 pm - Oct 4, '12

Bottomline- She needs to

Bottomline- She needs to LOOSE weight!!!!!!!!!!! If not for the industry for her health!!!!! She made all that money from Precious she could have invested on the gastric bypass and lypo!!!!!!!! That would have been the smart thing to do like J Hud did!!!!

by BlackBarbie818
8:23 pm - Oct 4, '12

You all are just blatantly

You all are just blatantly incompetent. This has just proven to me that fat-phobia/weight-ism has become an accepted discrimination. I will admit health of course is a priority but blatantly judge somebody based off of their weight is just shallow. Obesity is an epidemic but so is anorexia...and more people die from anorexia then obesity but you don't hear people talking about that. Both issues are important both issues are about health. But we live in a fucking society where looks account for everything...check it out looks fade! And please don't say she should be dieting because maybe she is...you don't know her situation at all. I feel bad for most of you women because your ideal of beauty is mixed in with discrimination. Understand this that by berating her and degrading her will not make her lose weight. Would you make fun of her if she was anorexic...no...you know why because most you women on here are insecure...you don't even have half the courage she does. You many not constitute it as bigotry but it is....and shut the fuck up about free speech. Technically we all have free speech but to an extent...because you are not going to into a theater and shout FIRE its against the law....so that point is shot down. Just think people were saying these same comments about african-americans, people who are of lgbtq community,etc many years and now it has become unacceptable. So why do you think berating someone because of there weight is ok...discrimination is discrimination. Sit all the way down and shut the fuck up because nobody is perfect!

by Annesha BrownSu...
7:55 pm - Oct 4, '12

Girl, there is a difference

Girl, there is a difference between FAT PHOBIA & FAT REALITY! Heart Disease is the number cause of death in the United States and a majority of the people with the disease are OBESE! Please don't let the celebs in Hollywood who talk about their "EATING DISORDERS" fool you. Anorexia/Bulimia is 22% deadly, being overweight is 57% deadly and...OBESITY is 89% deadly!!! NOW WHAT WERE YOU SAYING???

by tori
8:40 pm - Oct 4, '12

Nobody is telling Gabby to be

Nobody is telling Gabby to be anorexic hell nobody is even telling her to be skinny just get it under control. After her big oscar night she told one reporter she was going to hit a chick fil a and hit it hard so please lets not pretend that she is struggling with anything other than an unhealthy relationship with food. It would be mean to say it's okay to be that way it's unhealthy plain and simple. The truth is better than a lie even when it hurts. Obesity is an epidemic and so is eating like sh*t and laziness, and anorexics get the same reaction because unhealthy choices are unhealthy choices no discrimination.

by Mouse
8:34 pm - Oct 4, '12

she was going to hit a chick

she was going to hit a chick fil a and hit it hard..........LMFAO. Im done. Im seriously done!!!

by Saucy AND Sweet
8:47 pm - Oct 4, '12

I can't breathe over this

I can't breathe over this comment. LMAOOOO!!!!!!!

by Elle
10:35 pm - Oct 4, '12

And she said those exact

And she said those exact words, no lie

by Mouse
8:52 pm - Oct 4, '12

umm.....more people do not

umm.....more people do not die from anorexia. Sorry.

by allnatural
8:12 pm - Oct 4, '12

At the end of the day I go by

At the end of the day I go by facts not assumptions...if you don't believe me research it yourself! More people die from untreated eating disorders then obesity! #fact

by Annesha BrownSu...
8:17 pm - Oct 4, '12

You must be looking at yahoo

You must be looking at yahoo answers. Why do you think Michelle Obama came out with her fitness movement??? Obesity is a problem. I'm sorry, there's a difference from being heavy because of medical issues and being heavy because you can't stay yo ass out of McDonalds and I'm speaking from personal experience! I agree, people shouldn't be judged based on their weight. You do have to love yourself in order to grow and change, but you also have to admit that she lives an unhealthy lifestyle and unfortuanately, it is not a flattering look.

by Michelle Gaston
8:04 am - Oct 5, '12

The Centers for Disease

The Centers for Disease Control, as well as the National Institutes of Health and the American Heart Association do NOT list anorexia or eating disorders as top causes of death, but obesity related illness is. Is your source King magazine or something? LOL! You make some good points about discrimination. Don't blow it by making up pretend stats.

by allnatural
8:46 pm - Oct 4, '12

ROTFL king magazine

by Mouse
8:53 pm - Oct 4, '12

You all are some mean

You all are some mean mofos...

by rant
7:52 pm - Oct 4, '12

Looking good Gabby! I can

Looking good Gabby! I can see you coming down. Do it for your health not for Hollywood because a skeleton is too big for those idiots.

by Denise2007
7:48 pm - Oct 4, '12

@Denise, it's the black

@Denise, it's the black clothing.

by My Moniker Is...
10:35 pm - Oct 4, '12

Okay, so is she implying

Okay, so is she implying she's not at LEAST 250?

by Young Love
7:40 pm - Oct 4, '12

got dammit you big bitch just

got dammit you big bitch just lose the weight. sorry, but im tired of this shit. there is nothing normal about being 300 pounds as a young woman....well there's nothing normal about being 300 pounds period unless you are a defensive line man for a nfl team....even STILL we aint designed to be that heavy. big people like her piss me off when they are in a crowded train or bus taking up 4 seats alone or mad space. yeesh LOSE...THE....WEIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

by litebrite
7:35 pm - Oct 4, '12

A 10.0 Earthquake COULDN'T

A 10.0 Earthquake COULDN'T "SHAKE" Gabby! If she DOES NOT lose weight, she will DIE!! #factsoflife

by tori
7:33 pm - Oct 4, '12

Gabby I'm not going to diss

Gabby I'm not going to diss you, but you sound like your weight is not noticeable. It's the pink elephant in the room. People should not make up stories but they have a right to say what they feel. Sorry it hurts your feelings, freedom of speech is a bitch. That's the best look I have seen on you, the above picture.