Cardi B Slams Critics Saying She Body-Shamed Fans: 'Don't Cry About It'

Newsweek

a day ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Cardi B has addressed backlash after being accused of making fatphobic comments during a livestream.
The Up singer posted a video to the platform—which has since garnered 1.7 million likes and 10.7 million views—responding to criticism that began when she called her fans "fat f****" on a livestream after the largest size of merchandise quickly sold out.
She said: "So this will be the last video that I make on this. The fact that I was making a joke between me and my fans. My fans was joking on Twitter how they sold out the 3x large shirts. And my fans were like, damn, us Bardi getting big. Damn, we could never make big jokes no more because we big."
Plus-sized content creator Samyra posted several TikTok videos expressing surprise and disappointment over Cardi B's remarks. Newsweek reached out to Cardi B's publicists and Samyra via email.
File photo: Cardi B attends the Stéphane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2025/2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 8, 2025 in Paris, France.
File photo: Cardi B attends the Stéphane Rolland Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2025/2026 show as part of Paris Fashion Week on July 8, 2025 in Paris, France.
PascalSamyra said she felt the rapper's comments were fatphobic, particularly given that artists often fail to provide inclusive sizing in their merch. She added that 3XL is not technically considered plus-size, and said this lack of consideration extends to clothing collaborations as well.
Samyra said that pairing limited sizing with fatphobic jokes sends the message that plus-size fans are undervalued. She also questioned why Cardi B—who has previously worked with the plus-size singer Lizzo—would make such remarks, and offered a list of books on fatphobia for the rapper to read.
Samyra concluded by urging Cardi B to "unlearn fatphobia and stand up for them instead of standing against them."
Cardi B initially responded by telling Samyra to "shut up," insisting the situation was "not that serious" and that her comments were a joke shared with her fans, not aimed at Samyra.
Cardi B refused to apologize or read a book on the matter, saying she makes fun of everybody and that people should be able to laugh at themselves. She added that she would rather dedicate that time to learning more about other societal issues.
Cardi B added that her fans were in on the joke and not offended, and accused Samyra of projecting her own insecurities onto the situation.
Samyra later posted a written statement saying: "When I spoke about Cardi B's fatphobic comments, I did so respectfully, with the hope of encouraging her to think about the impact of her words on plus-size fans. Her choice to respond by telling me to 'shut the f*** up' and to 'calm my p*****' was vulgar, dismissive and escalated the issue entirely."
Samyra added that, while she was used to "fatphobic harassment" online, the exchange had intensified it, prompting her to take a break from posting, to protect her peace.
In another video, Cardi B said she felt she had been "attacked" on the app and that the controversy had turned TikTok into a negative space for her.
She added that her original comments were an "open form joke" with her fans, not intended to hurt anyone's feelings, and accused Samyra of inserting herself into the joke and making multiple videos about it.
The rapper refused to issue an apology, on the basis it would be "fake and forced."
Cardi B said that she understood the existence of body shaming and dysmorphia, recalling her own insecurities over her "flat a**" when she was younger, but added that she had not intended to offend anyone.
She expressed a wish for the topic to be "laid to rest" and said if people felt better making fun of her in return, they should.
Sabrina Greer, founder of fEMPOWER Publications and a publicist for female entrepreneurs, told Newsweek: "Cardi B's 'fat f***s"' remark was, by her own admission, a joke. And, in isolation, maybe that's all it might have been. But it didn't land in isolation … did it? Rather, it landed, like a grenade, right smack dab into the middle of a culture shaped by decades of systemic body shaming."
Greer said this long history creates hypervigilance and defensiveness, making even a joke feel like another wound.
Noting that Cardi B herself has faced body-based criticism, Greer added that humor from someone with such influence can reinforce the idea that larger bodies are fair game.
The incident has divided TikTok users, sparking conversations about cancel culture and the responsibilities of public figures.
Nae wrote: "I just want to say, especially to people in the comments, 1. Samyra never disrespected Cardi but that wasn't reciprocated. 2. Clearly it's a 'big deal' bc [because] some people were offended. 3. Y'all keep saying Cardi's fans weren't offended but to my knowledge Samyra has never said that she wasn't a fan. If yall know that Samyra dedicates her platform to addressing fatphobia, clearly it wasn't an attack on Cardi bc of who she is. It's the principle."
Others took a different view. "People are dying, Samyra," wrote Chelsea Porter, while a third user said: "It was genuinely never that serious ppl [people] at my school would get canceled everyday."
And one commenter encouraged her to keep going: "Samyra please don't stop talking about this!"
Do you have any viral videos or pictures that you want to share? We want to see the best ones! Send them in to [e-mail] and they could appear on our site.