From afar, it appeared that Amy Schumer had wiped her entire Instagram grid and started spurring rumours between her fans and in the world of Hollywood, about social media and public perception. The 44-year-old comedian and actor's sudden deletion of her old posts quickly led to headlines that the purge was tied to her recently documented weight loss. But in her own words, she says the story isn't what it seems at all.
Why Amy Schumer Deleted Things From Her Instagram
Very recently, Schumer's Instagram feed underwent a shocking transformation, when she cleared her account of past posts and returned with a single new entry. In a beautiful red Valentino mini dress paired with Chanel sling back heels, she captioned it,
'I actually left my house tonight. Who's proud? I'm feeling good and happy. Deleted my old pics for no reason!'
With only that new post visible and a prior Stories post showing her earliest Instagram upload talking about deleting her old posts, her fans questioned what had prompted the purge. Moreover, as the chatter grew among her 12 million Instagram followers, the story began to slanderously shift towards one focused on weight loss and image.
Amy Schumer Clears the Air
This kind of conjecture is not new in the world of Hollywood, because social media is both a stage and a magnifier. Schumer found herself under public eye and criticism as commentators linked her Instagram reset to her slimmer appearance. However, she replied directly on Instagram, stating:
'Hey media outlets I didn't delete my old photos because they were pre me losing weight. That's a narrative you created. I'm proud of how I've looked always. I have been working to be pain free and I finally am.'
Furthermore she revealed that the focus of her changes has been health and well being, not purely aesthetics. She shared that she no longer has Cushing syndrome, is managing back pain, and is feeling stronger, especially for her son as she wrote,
'My endometriosis is better. My back is healing. I no longer have Cushing syndrome so my face went back to normal. I am grateful to be strong and healthy especially for my son. But your Instagram is not your identity it's a curation of what you want the world to see and I feel great strong and beautiful and it's been fun sharing that. I didn't purposely go on a "weight loss journey" that's a fine thing to go on. But my focus has been on health. I'm sure my weight will always fluctuate. I'm a perimenopausal woman on hrt meds. Wishing you strength and self love on whatever path you're on as long as it's kind and respectful to all people. No matter their weight race or religion peace!'
Therefore by doing so, she pushed back on a glamorously reductive lens of Hollywood star transformations melding social media filters, springboard selfies and before/after tropes. Hence, her decision to remove old posts was, in her telling, not about erasing a body, but about expressing a new chapter and rejecting external narratives about what she should look like. Her fans will likely watch how this reset plays out in her Hollywood branding, fan engagement, and the intersection of celebrity and self presentation.
