Buffy rebuffed! Instagram users are lashing out at a “thinspiration” post Sarah Michelle Gellar shared ahead of Thanksgiving.
The 41-year-old uploaded the inciting Instagram on Sunday, November 18, posting photos of herself from Maxim’s December 2007 issue. In the portraits, she poses in black lingerie, baring her svelte physique.
“I’m just going to pin these up all over my house as a reminder not to overeat on Thursday,” Gellar wrote in the caption, adding the hashtag #thanksgivingprep.
The Buffy the Vampire Slayer alum’s photos garnered praise from other celebs, with Debra Messing commenting, “Are you KIDDING ME!?!” and Tiffani Thiessen saying she might pin the photos at her house, too.
But the same pics upset other Instagram users. “Buffy, please don’t promote diet culture. Not the kind of message we should be sending,” one wrote. “Usually love your posts but I’m seriously against ‘thinspiration.’ It’s a core of most eating disorders.”
Commented another: “Wow. Really shocked that a woman in a position of influence and a mother would post this … Is that where you place your value? On the size of your thighs? Or your protruding hip bones? Nothing positive comes from this post. Only narcissism and [the] theory that women need to be skinny to be acceptable. You should remove this post. Immediate unfollow from me.”
Other users, however, simply told the actress to enjoy the holiday. “Live your life girl!!” wrote one. “Eat the delicious food!! Don’t worry about tomorrow!”
Gellar caught wind of the controversy and clarified her stance in a comment on her post. “It’s come to my attention that some people think I was ‘fat shaming’ with this post,” she wrote on Tuesday, November 20. “That could not be further from my intentions. I love Thanksgiving and unfortunately my eyes are often bigger than my stomach, and I tend to eat so much I make myself sick. This was a joking reminder to myself not to do that. I’m terribly sorry that people were offended by my attempt at humor. Any one that knows me, knows I would never intentionally ‘shame’ any one on any basis. I am a champion of all people.”
