Sam Smith‘s name trended on Twitter Thursday after fans clashed with several body-shamers.
The incident sparked after the “Unholy” singer shared a carousel of photos of them lounging on a boat. Sam is wearing bikini bottoms in the photos and is posing comfortably.
But some followers were apparently put off by Sam’s weight and took to the comments to express their opinions. Fans began clapping back against the critics, with one remarking, “Sam is literally living their best life. Why are people such haters?”
The debate soon spilled onto Twitter after a critic reposted one of the photos and compared Sam’s body to that of a marine mammal. Others responded with older photos of Sam when they were slimmer and said they preferred that look.
The post has amassed roughly 650,000 views, with the majority of comments defending Sam.
“Reminder that Sam Smith was fat before they were skinny too,” a fan tweeted in response. “This isn’t them letting themselves go. This is them accepting themselves and being happy with their body.”
“Sam Smith won’t see your tweet, but your friends with similar body-types will,” another warned.
Sam previously revealed they shed about 50 pounds back in 2014, but also spoke openly at the time about struggling with body image issues. The singer later revealed on Jameela Jamil‘s I Weigh podcast that they’ve been struggling with their weight since childhood and opted for liposuction at age 12.
Sam has since embarked on a journey of self-love and acceptance, as evidenced by the new song “Love Me More” and forthcoming album Gloria.
Sam has not yet commented.
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