‘Dance Moms’ Alum Paige Hyland Fires Back at Criticism of Her Body: ‘I Thought We All Knew This’

Miranda Siwak Mon, July 27, 2026 at 12:56 PM UTC

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Bonnie Biess/Getty Images for Lifetime

Dance Momsalum Paige Hyland issued a fierce reminder against the keyboard warriors who feel comfortable publicly discussing individuals’ bodies online.

“Get ready with me while we talk about why it’s never OK to comment on someone’s body,” Hyland, 25, began a Saturday, July 25, video shared via Instagram. “It’s 2026, I thought we all knew this, but I guess we need a little refresher.”

After sharing bikini pics via Instagram earlier this month, Hyland was flooded with comments about her allegedly concerning small frame.

“The comments I got were diabolical. There were so many people saying I looked anorexic, I’m promoting unhappy eating habits and that, as an influencer, I shouldn’t be encouraging this behavior,” she stated. “As an influencer, I feel like it’s my responsibility to stand up for people whose bodies naturally look like mine.”

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According to Hyland, she’s “been tiny” her entire life without intentionally trying to slim down.

“In fact, I go to the gym to try and build muscle,” she said. “Losing weight has never been a goal of mine. … I’ve never came out and said [I’ve had an eating disorder] because I’ve never had one, which I’m extremely grateful for.”

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Hyland added, “If I did have an eating disorder, imagine reading comments from thousands of people picking apart my body and diagnosing me when they have no idea what’s going on? That is not concern, that is public body-shaming disguised as concern, which is not cute.”

Hyland further stated that individuals are “never entitled” to comment on someone else’s physique simply “because you think you’re helping.”

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“Truth is, you have no idea what someone’s going through,” Hyland acknowledged. “Someone could be recovering from an eating disorder, they could have a medical condition, they could be grieving or they could just be naturally thin like me. You truly have no idea.”

Hyland, for her part, noted that she “never” followed a strict diet or restricted her intake of sweets or carbohydrates.

“I eat everything, my body just naturally looks like this. While I’m confident in myself, I know there’s other girls who probably look like me that are reading the comments on my picture thinking there’s something wrong with their bodies,” the reality TV alum said. “That genuinely makes me sick to my stomach. Just like it’s wrong for shaming someone for being bigger, it’s also wrong for shaming them for being smaller.”

Hyland concluded, “Body positivity has to include all bodies or else it’s not ‘body positivity.’ So before you go to comment on someone’s weight, whether it’s, ‘You look too skinny,’ ‘Eat a burger,’ whatever it is, just don’t. Instead, maybe comment about their smile or tell them that you like their outfit. There’s so many other things you can do besides commenting on someone’s body.”

If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Alliance for Eating Disorders website or call their hotline at (866) 662-1235. Text "ALLIANCE" to 741741 for free, 24/7 support.

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Source: “AOL Entertainment”