Nelly Furtado's life as body positivity champion: How embracing her 'new silhouette', becoming a mum again in her 40s and an ADHD diagnosis earned singer, 46, 'icon' status

Daily Mail​

12 hours ago

Earlier this year, Nelly Furtado spoke out about her looks - professing her 'self-love and genuine confidence' following changes to her image.
The pop legend, 46, who shot to fame in 1996, has been lauded of late for her 'gorgeous curves' and 'refreshing attitude' after sharing the post on Instagram about choosing the natural route with her looks.
Posing in a bikini in January, she showed off her figure in all its glory - thus earning her status as a body confidence icon following her return to the spotlight after a six year hiatus in which she focused on motherhood.
Nelly is a mother-of-three, having welcomed her younger children in her 40s, while also working alongside her older daughter. She has spoken about how balancing motherhood and working.
As well as her advocacy for body image, Nelly became an advocate for the ADHD community when she revealed her diagnosis in 2023 alongside her first magazine shoot in six years - winning her yet more praise from fans.
BODY IMAGE
Nelly won widespread praise for her attitude towards body confidence, having professed: 'It's perfectly OK to be OK with what you see in the mirror'.
Having posed in a bikini back in January, she also shared an encouraging post which empowered her fans and won praise.
In her post earlier this year, Nelly wrote: 'HAVE A BODY NEUTRAL 2025, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LOVE WITH EVERY INCH OF YOUR HEART THANKS FOR ALL THE MEMORIES THIS YEAR...
'This year I became aware of the aesthetic pressure of my work in a brand new way , while simultaneously I experienced new levels of self -love and genuine confidence from within...
'I had to pursue some legal action against a few charlatans online selling services based on selling health and beauty myths about me .
'For whoever cares , I have never had any face or body surgeries or augmentation, besides for veneers on the top row of my teeth , quite recently...
'So far, I have not had any face or lip injections or fillers of any kind , but I do have a loving , old school facialist who I purchase serums and creams from and I started that when I was 20. The day before photo shoots and red carpets , I drink a lot of water and sleep on my back...
'Sometimes on the red carpet or at photo shoots my makeup artist uses face tape to give my eyes , skin and makeup more lift . Sometimes my stylist uses body tape to give a certain look to different silhouettes .
'Body makeup can also sometimes be contoured to achieve a certain look. Makeup can do magical things ! So can great eyebrows ! So can a great hairstylist ! So can great underthings !
'These photos I have no makeup and there is no editing or filters on these photos but I do have a spray tan ! I have spider veins and they remind me of my mom and aunties and life so I think that's why I haven't parted with them so far...
'My New Year's message for 2025, is express yourself freely , celebrate your individuality and know that it's perfectly OK to be OK with what you see in the mirror , and it's also OK to want something different . We are all cute little humans just bouncing around the earth looking for hugs'.
In her post earlier this year, Nelly wrote: 'HAVE A BODY NEUTRAL 2025, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LOVE WITH EVERY INCH OF YOUR HEART THANKS FOR ALL THE MEMORIES THIS YEAR'
Her post was met with widespread praise from followers
'PS- this post is not intended to hate on anyone, I am just joining the storytelling community and this story is MINE'.
Fans flooded social media with praise for the stunner, with users writing: 'This was the content I needed in this current Ozempic era... So so beautiful. Inside and out...
'Stunning. Stunning. Stunning... Hermosa Nelly! That portuguese heritage big hips, big legs, representing all of us women with Venus goddess bodies sculpted by God keep shining girl...
'She looks AMAZING with her curves this is what REAL everyday women look like and should be normal to see anywhere...
'She's in her 40s, and has 3 kids of course she's not Miss Skinny Minnie. She looks great!... She definitely looks healthier now than she did when she was younger. Too thin then. Looking good Nelly.'
Far from shying away from fashion now she is in her 40s, Nelly professed her joy at having a 'glow-up' in recent years.
She told Vogue: 'I'm having more fun [with my style] now! It's weird. I always knew that I would have a glow-up in my 40s, and I did!...
'Now that I'm 40, I've realized one thing about myself: When you have the right pieces in your closet, you can actually dress spontaneously and plan what your outfit is...
'I love fashion. I grew up in a fashion family of tailors and seamstresses, so we grew up wearing our Sunday best. Portuguese culture is very much about festival culture—you have to dress up for Festa and turn it out...
'[Even today], if my mom doesn't like something I wore, I'll hear about it.'
MOTHERHOOD
Nelly shares daughter Nevis, who turns 22 next month, with her ex Jasper Gahunia. She went on to marry sound engineer Demacio Castellon in July 2008 before separating in 2016. She also has a daughter, seven, and son, six, with rapper Jerry.
In 2006, when Nevis was two, Nelly spoke about how life as a single mother made her take work more seriously and have greater focus.
She said: 'It really made me take my job way more seriously, it made me think about my work ethic, it made me think more about providing for Nevis and her future.'
On co-parenting, she said: '[Nevis' father and I] were together for four years and friends for five or six years before that. We're fully active co-parents and really close friends, so things are irie.' [Irie is a Jamaican noun for 'the ultimate positive'].
-Nelly does hope for more kids though: 'Maybe in the next five years I'll get married, have more kids. Onegrandmother had eight kids, the other had 10. If I have that many kids,then I would need a husband.'
In 2023, she discussed her desire to act as an idol to other mums after her return to music, saying: ''I want to inspire other moms and women out there that, even in their 40s, you can re-embrace your talents and go for it'.
After returning to the spotlight after her hiatus, she said: 'I am a mother, and it is part of my identity, but I'm also the mother of my creativity and art...
'That also needs to be nurtured. Being an artist is my purpose. So I had to learn to let go of that guilt, which is very difficult as a mom. But you need to live the change that you would like.'
ADHD DIAGNOSIS
In 2023, Nelly revealed she has been diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder 18 month previously.
Offering insight into her diagnosis, Nelly revealed she since she's been diagnosed as an adult she hasn't been 'overly dramatic about it,' and has focused 'finding solutions' to manage the condition.
She later said: 'So now I've been using choreography and getting in the dance studio as a natural way of dealing with my ADHD. I find the discipline really helps my brain...
'The good news is I'm getting to know my brain really well. I love talking about it, so I'm hoping to share my experience with people and have conversations about it.'
ADHD is a mental disorder that affects behaviour. People with the condition feel restless, may have trouble concentrating and can act impulsively.
Most cases are diagnosed in children between three and seven years old, but sometimes it is diagnosed later in childhood.
People with ADHD may also have additional problems such as sleep and anxiety disorders.