Nelly Furtado, the Grammy-winning artist celebrated for her early 2000s hits like "I’m Like a Bird" and "Promiscuous," is stepping away from performing for the foreseeable future. This decision comes amid a wave of online body-shaming and a desire to pursue other creative and personal endeavors.
A Shift in Focus: From Stage to Self
In an Instagram post marking the 25th anniversary of her debut album, "Whoa, Nelly!," Furtado shared her decision to pause her musical performance career. She expressed gratitude for her career and emphasized her continued love for songwriting, viewing it as a cherished hobby turned career. "I have enjoyed my career immensely, and I still love writing music, as I have always seen it as a hobby I was lucky enough to make into a career. I’ll identify as a songwriter forever," she added.
Reflecting on a Milestone
Furtado reflected on her journey, recalling her first show as a professional artist at Lilith Fair. She reminisced about buying a pink dress and sparkly platform shoes for the performance, highlighting the significance of that moment in actualizing her artist self. "Twenty-five years ago today, my first album, ‘Whoa, Nelly!’ was released. In the first slide, I am 20 years old, about to play my first show as a professional artist at Lilith Fair," she recalled. "I went down to a store called ‘Original’ on Queen West in Toronto and bought that pink dress and some sparkly platform shoes to perform in. It was so meaningful, and my artist self felt so actualized. Twenty-five years later, my music has reached a whole new generation of fans, and I couldn’t be happier about that."
Addressing Body-Shaming with Confidence
Furtado's announcement follows her response to online critics regarding her fashion choices at Manchester Pride. She wore an oversize white T-shirt featuring a cartoon image of a woman in a crop top and mini skirt, a subtle yet powerful message of self-acceptance. This bold fashion choice served as a direct response to body-shamers, showcasing her confidence and refusal to be defined by others' opinions.
Embracing Body Neutrality
Earlier in 2025, Furtado shared a glowing selfie in an orange bikini, embracing "body neutrality" as part of her wellness mindset. She acknowledged the aesthetic pressures of her work while celebrating new levels of self-love and genuine confidence. "This year I became aware of the aesthetic pressure of my work in a brand-new way, while at the same time, I experienced new levels of self-love and genuine confidence from within," she captioned the post.
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Taking a Stand Against Online Scams
Furtado revealed that she pursued legal action against online scammers who were profiting off her name by promoting health and beauty myths about her. She clarified that she has never had any face or body surgeries or augmentation, except for veneers on the top row of her teeth. "I had to pursue legal action against a few charlatans online selling services based on health and beauty myths about me," she wrote. "For whoever cares, I have never had any face or body surgeries or augmentation, except for veneers on the top row of my teeth, quite recently."
Debunking Cosmetic Procedure Rumors and Sharing Skincare Secrets
The pop singer clarified that she has avoided cosmetic procedures altogether. Furtado added that she has never had any "face or lip injections or fillers of any kind," instead crediting her natural glow to simple skincare habits. "I rely on my old-school facialist, from whom I purchase serums and creams - and I started that when I was 20," she explained. She also shared her secrets to looking good on the red carpet, revealing that her makeup artist sometimes uses face tape to give her eyes, skin, and makeup more lift.
The Broader Context: Body Image and Online Criticism
Nelly Furtado is not alone in facing body-shaming and online criticism. Numerous celebrities have spoken out against unrealistic beauty standards and the negative impact of online comments.
Bebe Rexha
After receiving body-shaming comments, the "I'm Good" singer clapped back at the critics and explained why she's tired of receiving criticism over her appearance. "I know I got fat," she captioned her June 23 tweet. "I'm just so sick of people talking about it." In a separate post, the 33-year-old added, "Human beings go through weight fluctuations," she continued, "it's life and you don't know what people are going through. Meds, disease, etc…"
Rumer Willis
After some critics accused the House Bunny actress of looking too skinny in an Instagram photo, the star fired back, writing, "I know I don't need to do this but in an effort to spread some awareness and shed some light on body shaming tactics i felt the need to share. After the barrage of some really inappropriate comments left on my pic I posted yesterday I was left really bummed cause I was really enjoying the silly pics I took. It was a weird angle that even made me feel life I looked smaller than I do in real life. But regardless even though you may think it's your job or even your right to leave unfiltered thoughts or judgements about my body for me and others to read…"
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Natalie Portman
In February 2021, the actress was the target of public pregnancy speculation, based on online photos of her wearing a dark blue tank top on set in Australia. She called out the news outlet that posted them in a rare Instagram Story post, writing, "Hey, so I'm totally not pregnant…but apparently, it's still OK in 2021 for anyone to speculate and comment on a woman's body shape whenever they want?"
Ava Max
Ava Max has also spoken out against body shaming, recounting instances where she was criticized for being both "too fat" and "too thin" within a short time frame. She emphasized that "no one deserves to be picked apart for what they look like" and that "your beauty exceeds such superficial measures."
Meghan King Edmonds
Following her split from Jim Edmonds, the former Bravo star asked fans to stop leaving messages about her figure. "'Eat a burger.' That's what they say. I'll be real with you: I'm too thin," she shared on Instagram in December 2019. "But please, I deserve some grace. I am doing the damn thing with all of the dignity I can muster as I put my kiddos before anything else."
Celine Dion
After being called "too skinny," the legendary singer addressed the negative comments, telling Entertainment Tonight, "Is there anything wrong about my body? I've always been very thin. I do ballet." She added, "If you don't want to be criticized, you are in the wrong place. I take what's good for me. I leave behind what is not good for me," she explained. "I let my management take care of that, and if it hurts anyone, they will take care of that. And I need to focus on what's right for me, how I feel and, last but not least, you can't please everybody."
Lizzo
In June 2020, the "Good as Hell" singer had a message for body shamers. "None of your f--king business, because I am beautiful, I am strong, I do my job and I stay on my job."
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Demi Lovato
The "Confident" singer has always been open about speaking against body shamers. She told Glamour in 2016, "If somebody calls me fat, even in a vulnerable moment, I laugh to myself and think, I'm doing everything I can, so there's nothing I can do about it."
Halle Berry
Halle Berry has also clapped back at body shamers, using humor to deflect negative comments about her appearance.
Camila Cabello
The "Señorita" star previously took to Instagram Stories to send a message to her haters. "I haven't gone on social media AT ALL with the conscious intention of avoiding things that hurt my feelings," she began her lengthy post. "My eyes accidentally ran over a head line of people 'body shaming me.' Honestly, first thing I felt was super insecure over just IMAGINING what these pictures must look like, oh no! My cellulite! Oh no! I didn't suck in my stomach! But then I was like…of course there are bad pictures, of course there are bad angles, my body's not made of f--king rock, or all muscles, for that matter. But the saddest part of young girls growing up in an airbrushed world is they're seeking a perfection that's not real. I'm writing this for girls like my little sister who are growing up on social media. They're constantly seeing photoshopped, edited pictures and thinking that's reality and everyone's eyes get used to seeing airbrushed skin, and suddenly they think THAT'S norm. It isn't. It's fake. AND FAKE IS BECOMING THE NEW REAL. We have a completely unrealistic view of a woman's body. Girls, cellulite is normal. fat is normal. It's beautiful and natural. I won't buy into the bulls--t today!!!! Not today satan and I hope you don't either."
Bebe Rexha (Again)
In May 2019, the singer posted a video of herself performing at Hangout Music Festival in a black leotard. After seeing the video, a social media user tweeted, "Okay don't mean to disrespect but aint too thiccccck!?? I mean never saw her like that BEFORE!!" She also called out the fashion industry after she claimed several designers refused to dress her for the Grammys because of her size. "Empower women to love their bodies instead of making girls and women feel less then [sic] by their size," she shared on Instagram in January 2019. "We are beautiful any size! Small or large! Anddddd My size 8 ass is still going to the Grammys. #LOVEYOURBODY."
Ayesha Curry
Ayesha Curry has also defended herself and her children against body-shaming comments online. She has spoken out against the pressure to conform to certain body standards and has encouraged women to embrace their natural beauty.
Candace Cameron-Bure
Back in April 2018, the Fuller House star shared a picture of herself enjoying a dinner with her son Lev Bure. However, the actress was quick to shut down the hater. "If a 25 inch waist looks big to you…then you're looking through an altered lens. Be well," she replied.