For reasons unknown, many social media users believe that an artist’s success in the public space entitles them to an opinion on that artist’s body. While male artists are by no means immune from this phenomenon, it’s the women who often bear its brunt. Lainey Wilson, the ACM’s reigning Entertainer of the Year, had some words for her online body shamers during a recent interview.

Lainey Wilson Reflects on Viral TikTok Moment

Sitting down for an interview with Josh Smith of the Reign with Josh Smith podcast, Lainey Wilson spoke directly to the haters.

“Kiss my fat a–,” she declared when Smith asked if she had anything to say to online body-shamers. “I’m playing,” she added with a laugh.

In late 2022, Wilson’s meteoric rise was on the horizon following the release of her GRAMMY-winning fourth album, Bell Bottom Country. During that time, the “Watermelon Moonshine” singer, 32, gained a brand-new swath of fans after, as she put it, “my butt went viral on TikTok.”

Af first, Wilson was amused by the attention. However, the Baskin, Louisiana native was unprepared for its longevity.

“I read way too many things that people had to say about me. And at the end of the day, like, I’m a storyteller. I think that words are powerful. That’s why I wanted to write music, because I think words are powerful,” she said. “And even if you don’t believe what somebody says about you, even putting your eyes on it for a split second can kind of leave a little mark.”

“It’s Been a Struggle”

Lainey Wilson tried to be mindful of the feedback she was taking in. However, she admits there were times when the discourse surrounding her body got to her.

“I felt like at one point in time, social media was really preventing me from taking whatever that next step was that I needed to do,” she told Smith. “And so at that point, I made a a very conscious decision to just, like, stop reading it… and it’s been a struggle.”

Still, Wilson has managed to navigate this territory with her characteristic Southern sass and grace. “I think some people didn’t get their butt whooped as a child,” she told Smith. “And it shows.”