Melanie Lynskey has been a star for decades, but she has received a lot of attention the past few months for her role on Showtime's Yellowjackets. The hit TV series has
put the spotlight on Lynskey, and she recently posted on Twitter about some of the negative attention she has been receiving. The 44-year-old actress retweeted writer Ashley C. Ford (who has since deleted her tweet) about how people often seem “confused” that Ford is “not thin and also not trying to lose weight.”
Lynskey quote-tweeted the sentiment on January 28, writing, “The story of my life since Yellowjackets premiered. Most egregious are the ‘I care about her health!!’ people. Bitch you don’t see me on my Peleton! You don’t see me running through the park with my child. Skinny does not always equal healthy.”
The story of my life since Yellowjackets premiered. Most egregious are the “I care about her health!!” people…bitch you don’t see me on my Peleton! You don’t see me running through the park with my child. Skinny does not always equal healthy https://t.co/W2poMmsv1p
— Melanie Lynskey (@melanielynskey) January 29, 2022
Her husband, Jason Ritter, with whom she shares a daughter, quote-tweeted his wife, writing, “If anyone has any further unsolicited comments about *anybody* else’s body, they can feel free to write them in permanent ink onto their own foreheads and swan dive directly into the sun.”
Hollywood is a notoriously judgmental place, with a focus on thinness, and other performers jumped in to comment on Lynskey's tweet. Crazy Ex-Girlfriend star Donna Lynne Champlin replied to Lynskey, saying, “Been there, momma. You owe no one a goddam thing but a brilliant performance which you are turning out in SPADES. Keep being f–king gorgeous and talented and know you’ve got fans out here who think you are a beautiful queen and a magnificent actress.”
Ford herself replied, saying, “They don’t know you at all. Even if their concern is genuine, IT IS MISPLACED.”
“Yes. Very much so,” Lynskey answered.
This isn't the first time Lynskey has commented on the criticism she's received. In an interview with Rolling Stone earlier in January she said some viewers didn't believe someone who looked like Lynskey would have a love interest as good looking as the actor who plays her character's lover, Peter Gadiot.
“I’m just like, ‘Wow, really? That’s where people’s heads are at, that the most important thing is being thin or young?'” Lynskey said. She said someone on set also urged her to lose weight.
“They were asking me, ‘What do you plan to do? I’m sure the producers will get you a trainer. They’d love to help you with this,’” Lynskey said. She said that her co-stars, Tawny Cypress, Christina Ricci and Juliette Lewis defended her, with Lewis even writing a letter to the producers. Luckily, Lynskey accepts herself as she is—a talented and gorgeous woman.