With over 8 billion people gracing our planet, the diversity in shapes and colors is astounding. Yet, a casual glance through polished Instagram feeds or the latest streaming series might make it seem as though everyone adheres to the same beauty mold. This homogeneity is, quite frankly, disheartening.

As Dr. Robyn Goodman, a professor of advertising at the University of Florida, explains, “When only a limited type of beauty is consistently showcased, society starts to view anything beyond that ‘standard’ as less desirable,” she shared with Us.

However, when a high-profile celebrity defies these conventional beauty norms, it can serve as a vital morale booster for the rest of us. Body image expert and GLP-1 Truth Serum podcast host, Virgie Tovar, notes, “Seeing someone who resembles you portrayed with confidence and allure affirms that you belong just as you are.”

Of course, even for celebrities, this is easier said than done, as they too face immense pressure to conform to these beauty stereotypes.

In light of this, Us Weekly is shining a spotlight on stars who are reshaping the narrative around body standards. “Body image and body positivity have become significant buzzwords and integral parts of cultural discussions,” says Lexie Kite, Ph.D., coauthor of “More Than a Body: Your Body Is an Instrument, Not an Ornament.” This sentiment is explored further in the latest issue of Us Weekly, as they celebrate those who are making a difference.

“Showing up confident in your own body can be hard,” says Amy Harman, LMFT, CEDS-S and author of Perfectly Imperfect, “but it’s truly an accomplishment.”

Here are some of the stars doing just that:

Difference Can Be a Superpower

As a contestant on America’s Next Top Model in 2014, Winnie Harlow was a fan favorite because of her unique looks. But growing up in Canada, the supermodel, now 31, was ruthlessly teased for her unusual skin pigmentation caused by vitiligo.

“I often felt misunderstood,” Harlow shared in a November social media post announcing her forthcoming children’s book, Simply Winnie, which tells the story of her childhood. “I wrote this book for any child who feels different, to remind them not only are they not alone, they’re seen! I want children to grow up in a world… where ‘the ugly duckling’ is rewritten simply as ‘The Beautiful Swan.’” Harlow is working to make that happen, gracing the covers of top fashion mags and appearing in campaigns from Fendi to Victoria’s Secret; she even has her own beauty line, Cay Skin. “We all have differences, but we are not defined by them,” she said. “We are a beautiful blend of all the things that make us, us.”

BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: “Owning your differences is a type of superpower,” Tovar tells Us. “I always remind people: Don’t ever let an external source tell you how you’re supposed to look.”

Don’t Forget Your Roots

Nigerian-British actress Wunmi Mosaku’s work in Sinners has made her an Oscar front-runner. But with dark skin and a curvaceous figure, Mosaku, 39, once thought a film career wasn’t in the cards.

“Theater was going to be my route because I look how I look,” she’s said. “I didn’t see me represented so much on screen at that time.” A large part of discovering her own beauty came from looking back at her lineage. Mosaku said her mother would note familial traits, such as a gap between her front teeth, and tell her, “Well, I have a little gap and your dad has a little gap and grandma has a little gap. So what do you think of us?”

“And I’m like, Oh yeah… I do think you’re beautiful,” she recalled. Mosaku now proudly shows off her roots, often donning outfits by little-known Nigerian designers. “I wanted to feel like I was supporting the people who don’t always feel seen in the fashion industry,” she explained.

BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: “Wunmi is an excellent example of embracing your body by honoring where you came from,” says Harman. “I love that she’s highlighting designers from non-traditional backgrounds. We need more people showing up as they are, accepting their genetics, and moving forward confidently.”

Your Body, Your Business

For Ariana Grande, being pop-u-lar comes with a downside. While the Grammy winner, 32, wants audiences to focus on her enchanting performance in Wicked: For Good, online trolls can’t stop yapping about her weight, claiming she looks “frail.” For Grande, who got her start on Broadway when she was just a teen, it’s sadly the norm.

“I’ve been kind of doing this in front of the public… since I was 16 or 17,” she said. “I’ve heard every version of it — of what’s wrong with me.” While it’s taken a while, the singer has learned to tune out “the noise” of shamers. “I’m really lucky to have the support system that I have,” she said. “And to just know and trust that I’m beautiful.”

BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: Strangers don’t get to weigh in on your weight. “We should be gentler and less comfortable commenting on peoples’ bodies,” Grande has said, adding that individuals should try their best to ignore unwanted comments. “You keep yourself safe. Cause no one has the right to say s**t.”

Stand Tall, Whatever Your Height

Fans adored photos of 6-foot-3 Gwendoline Christie and 5- foot-1 Jenna Ortega at the Wednesday season 2 premiere. While both women are stunning, there were times they felt like outcasts — not the cool Nevermore Academy kind — because of their respective heights.

Christie, 47, worried she wasn’t getting roles because she was “too tall” and considered making “more effort to fit in.” The Game of Thrones star ultimately went in a different direction. “I’m gonna work really hard,” she shared, “and I’m gonna honor who I am and every single freakish thing about me!” Not only did that tactic pay off, playing Larissa Weems on Wednesday, but Christie put her own spin on the classic blonde siren and finally “felt beautiful on screen.”

Ortega, 23, meanwhile, admits one of her unusual talents is being able to run in high heels, a skill developed because of “insecurity” about her height. These days, though, she’s just as happy to strut her stuff in Wednesday Addams’ black boots.

BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: To reach the height of your potential, there’s no need to slouch or break your neck in sky-high stilettos. “Your job is to live your best life, to love who you are,” says Tovar. “Do your job unapologetically.”

Once upon a time, a famous person might lose weight with alarming speed and say with a straight face that she’d done it by eating a balanced diet of smaller portions. Though we regular folks wanted that to be true — it gave us hope we could follow their simple steps and shrink ourselves — […]

Build the Life You Want to Live

On The Sex Lives of College Girls, Lauren “Lolo” Spencer plays Jocelyn, the vivacious life of every Essex University party. In real life, however, Spencer’s doctors gave her a five- to seven-year life expectancy after diagnosing her with ALS when she was 14. While the news was definitely life-altering, Spencer decided not “to let it or any statistics determine my future.”

In her memoir, Access Your Drive and Enjoy the Ride, the actress, now 38, writes: “I built a life I wanted to live — not the ones others expected me to survive.” That includes voice-over work, fashion shoots for brands like Tommy Hilfiger and raising disability awareness on her YouTube series, Sitting Pretty. “I’m advocating for disability to be fun, fly and sexy,” Spencer, who’s used a wheelchair since she was 19, has shared. “Because I’m fun, fly and sexy.”

BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: “When you rewrite the script, you often experience more positive self-evaluation, higher self-esteem and greater body satisfaction,” Goodman tells Us. “We learn by observing others, and women like Spencer help other women learn that ideals are fluid and self-determined.”

It’s OK to Say No to (GLP-1) Drugs

Since the advent of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs, a lot of stars — even ones who famously embraced their curves — have been hitting the red carpet with slimmed-down figures. The diet jab is one trend Megan Stalter is proud to buck.

“It’s one thing [for] health, but there’s a lot of healthy people in bigger bodies,” said the comedian, 35, who’s been racking up the raves as the leading lady in the Netflix series Too Much. “I don’t get it. I guess I’m so lucky to love my fat ass… I love myself so much now.”

Stalter — who rose to fame with her Instagram Live skits before her scene-stealing turn as a talent manager on Hacks — didn’t always feel that way. Growing up in Ohio, she ducked out of the spotlight whenever possible.

“[I thought] if I can make myself really, really small and quiet, then maybe I’ll be hurt less by the students,” she said. Then she joined the drama club, where she found her people and her confidence. “I’m very about taking care of my body and being healthy,” Stalter said, “but I have not wanted to be skinny or lose weight for cosmetic reasons since high school.”

BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: “GLP-1 advertising is everywhere, and it’s causing real harm to people’s body image and mental health,” says Tovar. “The advertising is clearly designed to make us doubt ourselves, but don’t let advertisers or pharmaceutical companies write your story for you.”

Hotness Doesn’t End With Hot Flashes

Naomi Watts was just 36 when her doctor explained that her hot flashes and night sweats meant she was likely “close to menopause,” causing The Watcher star to freak out.

“I was told I would never work again if I admitted to being menopausal, or even perimenopausal,” Watts, now 57, wrote in her 2025 memoir, Dare I Say It: Everything I Wish I’d Known About Menopause. “Hollywood’s lovely term for such women was ‘unf**kable.’” Instead of lying about changes brought on by menopause, Watts doubled down. In 2022, she founded Stripes Beauty, a wellness company that offers products designed to support women during this specific stage of life. Far from fizzling, her career flourished — and so did her love life: She married Gypsy costar Billy Crudup, also 57, in 2023.

“I’m not producing babies, but that doesn’t mean my life is finished. It doesn’t mean I can’t be a sexy woman on screen,” Watts shared. “Women have experience at this age, and they also know themselves, and that is pretty sexy.”

BEAUTY SCHOOL LESSON: Women don’t have an expiration date. “This age is really a time to invest in yourself,” Watts advised. “Now it’s my turn. What is it I want to do? Who do I want to be? And what does that look like?”