Aubrey O’Day is “reclaiming” her body.
Two years after being dubbed “unrecognizable” in a set of “fat photos” taken by paparazzi, the pop star debuted a nude music video for her new song, “Couple Goals.”
“My body’s basically been on the chopping block since I was 17 years old,” the former Danity Kane frontwoman, 38, told Page Six in an exclusive interview.
“My body is watched more than my talent, which is very unfortunate. But because it is such a thing, it was kind of like a reclaiming of my body,” she said of her track’s sultry visual, which she released strategically via her OnlyFans.
PageSix
PageSix
PageSix
“I went through those fake fat photos and all of the hate and the embarrassment and shame, and then being upset that I even was put in a position where I had to either defend myself and say, ‘I’m not that,’ when the truth is, who cares if I am that?” O’Day said, standing by her initial assertion that the images in question were altered for “clickbait.”
The “Celebrity Apprentice” alum told us her attorney “tried to stop” the publication of the photos “as best he could” but was ultimately unsuccessful. The result was an avalanche of negative and judgmental commentary from internet users.
“And then I started reading tons of hate and people making fun of me and all these things. And then I saw people that were like, ‘I actually look like that in real life, so am I an obese cow that’s a f–king loser?'” O’Day shared with us.
Between being a “late bloomer” and having the genetic makeup to be well-endowed — all of which she had to navigate while in the public eye during an era when celebrities were expected to be rail thin — the “Making the Band 3” breakout star has had to work overtime to get to a place where her goals are to “protect” herself and other women while “tear[ing] down narratives.”
“I haven’t always been in that place. I felt competition toward women. Most of my life, I’ve been pitted against women,” she admitted. “Coming up in a girl group, I mean, we never really created our issues — the men around us did.”
Similarly, the songstress feels that many women “see themselves through the eyes of the person that’s observing them — that’s usually a man.”
As for why “Couple Goals” is available to view only with a subscription to her OnlyFans, the singer explained, “I’ve been in this industry for over 20 years now. So in order to keep doing this, I have to be able to adjust with how everything transitions.”
And because traditional streaming is not as lucrative as it once was — thanks in large part to platforms like TikTok — O’Day said she’s had no choice but to “find ways to create income” while still doing what she loves.