Lili Reinhart & Camila Mendes' Response To Being Photoshopped Will Make You Cheer

Betty Cooper and Veronica Lodge are not about to be part of perpetuating unrealistic body expectations. Riverdale stars Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes' responses to being photoshopped for the cover of Cosmopolitan Philippines are must-reads. As reported by E! Online, Reinhart shared the retouched images and the actual images of herself and co-star Camila Mendes on her Instagram Story, alongside a kick-butt statement about why seeing her body distorted without her permission made her so angry. Meanwhile, Mendes shared a statement of her own, stating that she wants readers of the magazine to know the body on the cover is not her's and it's not one they should be struggling to attain. Bustle has reached out to Cosmopolitan Philippines for comment, but did not receive an immediate response

Reinhart has always been vocal about having no time for body shamers, and whether it's a Twitter troll or a magazine, she's happy to call them out. According to Refinery29, she wrote on her Instagram Story,

"Camila and I have worked incredibly hard to feel confident and comfortable in the bodies that we have. It's an everyday battle sometimes. And to see our bodies become so distorted in an editing process is a perfect example of the obstacles we have yet to overcome. So we cannot stop fighting. Our battle has only just begun. We are f*cking powerful, beautiful, and strong… we aren't going to hide behind photoshop to conform to your beauty standards."

Mendes' statement reads,

"@lilireinhart and I feel disrespected and disturbed by the sight of our photoshopped bodies in @cosmopolitan_philippines. We want their readers to know that those bodies are not ours; they have been distorted from their natural beauty. We prefer to see our bodies as they actually are. I'm not interested in having a slimmer waist, I'm more than satisified with the one that I already have."

Since the actors have spoken out, the magazine appears to have removed the photos from Instagram.

Photoshopping someone's picture without their consent is problematic all on its own, but it's even more troubling when the person in question has struggled with body image issues in the past. In a Feb. Instagram post, Mendes opened up about how dieting and weight loss had become an obsession for her. In her post, in which she explained why she was done with dieting, she wrote, "I'm done believing in the idea that there's a thinner, happier version of me on the other side of all the tireless effort."

The 23-year-old also works with Project Heal, an organization that helps people who are struggling with eating disorders. In October, Mendes shared on Instagram that she had struggled with eating disorders in the past, and she understands how difficult it is to come out on the other side of the illness. Given her history, Mendes' words about photoshopping and being happy in her body just as it is are even more powerful.

Reinhart's experience may be different from Mendes', but she's dealt with the internet discussing her body image in the past. As reported by People, in 2017, a Twitter user expressed "concern" over the actor's weight. Reinhart's response? She tweeted, "Thank you so much for being concerned about my weight, I'll respond later after I finish my double cheeseburger."

As young actors in Hollywood, Reinhart and Mendes are likely to face pressure from the industry and the public to fit a certain image. However, their response to seeing their images photoshopped speaks volumes. These two women have worked hard to get where they are and to love themselves, and they're more than willing to speak up when anyone tries to make them feel less than when they know that they're perfect just as they are.

Their expressions of self-love in the face of being photoshopped to appear thinner are not only important for them, they're also invaluable to their many young fans. The message Reinhart and Mendes want to send to the world appears to be that unrealistic beauty standards should have no place in your life, because they certainly don't in theirs.