Ugandan TikToker Zayra Baby has opened up about the harsh body-shaming she experienced when she was starting out on the platform, saying the criticism became so overwhelming that it affected her mental health.
According to Zayra, entering the public eye exposed her to comments about parts of her appearance she had never previously worried about.
She said the constant criticism eventually affected the way she viewed herself and even changed how she dressed.
“I was body shamed when I started to a point of depression but I can never do a BBL,” Zayra said, adding that she has since learned to appreciate her natural body.
At the height of the criticism, Zayra said she became uncomfortable with her appearance and began wearing baggy clothes to hide her body.
“I felt like I was lame due to the many body shaming comments,” she recalled.
Her mother, however, offered a different perspective — one that Zayra says helped her begin rebuilding her confidence.
Zayra recalled her mother telling her, “I have a very beautiful body and so many people are looking for it.”
That reassurance became an important part of her journey toward accepting herself again, according to the TikToker.
Zayra also pointed to another challenge that comes with being a content creator: criticism does not always stop with the person in front of the camera.
She said public figures can find themselves dealing with rumors, unnecessary online conflicts and criticism involving family members who never chose to live publicly.
For Zayra, learning to deal with that attention has meant developing thicker skin while refusing to let online commentary determine how she feels about herself.
Her experience also highlights how quickly social-media criticism can move from comments about someone’s appearance into something that affects their everyday confidence and behavior.
Today, Zayra says she has learned to love and appreciate the body that once became the target of relentless online commentary.