Latest news with #fatshaming
BBC News
17 hours ago
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Glastonbury 2025: CMAT says she still gets abuse after viral song
Irish singer CMAT says she is still facing abuse after writing a single in response to being fat-shamed over her appearance at a festival last to BBC News at Glastonbury, she said the online comments are so bad that she does not have TikTok on her singer - real name Ciara Mary-Alice Thompson - spoke following her Friday afternoon set on the Pyramid stage, which lit up the festival with her powerful vocals and stage presence.A huge crowd of fans also joined the dance to the single Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, which pushed back on last year's fat-shaming incident and went viral on TikTok. Before performing the song, CMAT reflected on the abuse she says she received last year.'Lots of people would come and film us on their phone. The comments section was filled with very nasty comments about my physical appearance,' she crowd booed at this, while I heard several people shouting out 'you're stunning' back to wrote new song after being fat-shamed over festival showCMAT attacks 'fat shaming' comments on BBC video Following her set, I met her backstage where I asked her whether online abuse is still something she's facing.'Oh yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. I'm not allowed to really have TikTok on my phone or anything,' she said.'Every day, people will leave terrible terrible comments under my TikToks and posts and stuff.'But they have their full face and full name attached to it. They're just saying terrible things knowing that they're backing it up with their online footprints.'She admitted that to some extent, 'we've all actually done it' because of how 'desensitised' people have become to posting online.'I think a lot of people do it unaware that people are actually reading this stuff,' she said. Take A Sexy Picture Of Me, the second single from upcoming album Euro Country, charts the challenges of being a woman in the public track begins with CMAT singing about trying to wax her legs with sticky tape when she was nine, and how the pressure to be attractive has meant she's "been having a horrible time of late".But the lyrics are contrasted with poppy hooks and the tongue-in-cheek solution of having someone "take a sexy picture".CMAT indicated that she had mixed feelings about the response to the song.'It's just sad that so many people are like, yeah relatable, totally get you, really relate to this song about ageing out of commercial attraction and people being mean to me about my physical appearance,' she said.'It's a double-edged sword, like I don't know if it's good that so many people relate to it but I'm glad that it's there.'She also said she likes the dance routine that was made up to go with it.'I think it's doubling down on the ridiculousness of the situation, and I like that if you are someone who has related to the song in some way, you are able to physically manifest how you relate to it.' CMAT's performance on the Pyramid Stage made fans laugh, dance and cry as she went through a string of her a few hours after, she said she was still 'in shock' at the reaction to her set.'It's taken my entire life [to get to Pyramid Stage],' she said. 'It's constantly grafting.''I also begged Emily Eavis,' she said, naming the festival's ended her set with an incredible moment - she parted the crowd and met fans as everyone belted out the lyrics I just can't do it from the song Stay for only Friday, but I'm already convinced this is one of the moments we'll remember from Glastonbury work so hard to get to the Pyramid Stage but there's also something to be said for how that stage itself can make some artists' careers. It felt like we just saw that happening with CMAT.
The Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
Samsung executive's fat-shaming boss suggested he use chemo as a weight loss technique: lawsuit
A morbidly obese Samsung executive claims his manager relentlessly fat-shamed him in front of colleagues, belittling him with cruel remarks about his 'big ass,' as well as, among other things, repeated suggestions that he 'use 'chemo' as a weight-loss technique.' Joseph DeRosa, a former senior director of sales at the South Korean tech behemoth's U.S. Networks Division, says the experience was 'humiliating and hurtful,' particularly because his boss was well aware that DeRosa 'lost his mother to cancer and the side effects of chemotherapy treatment,' according to a newly filed federal lawsuit reviewed by The Independent. A Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 is considered obese; anything above 40 'suggests morbid obesity,' DeRosa's complaint states. It says DeRosa at the time had a BMI of 43, which qualifies as 'extreme obesity,' per NIH guidelines. Beyond disparaging the 58-year-old DeRosa about his weight, the complaint says Samsung SVP Magnus Ojert referred to DeRosa at teamwide meetings as a 'failed male prostitute,' insisting more than once that DeRosa – a top performer who landed a $6.7 billion contract one higher-up called the 'deal of the century' – achieved success by performing 'sexual favors' for clients. But when DeRosa complained to higher-ups, the complaint contends Ojert iced him out of meetings, unilaterally altered his remote-work arrangements, and gave him 'an unjustified negative performance review,' after which DeRosa was fired as part of a 'purported restructuring.' 'There was no legitimate reason to fire someone with DeRosa's stellar track record,' according to the complaint, which says DeRosa has since been replaced by someone without any prior sales experience. In an email on Thursday, a Samsung spokesperson told The Independent, 'It is our policy not to comment on personnel matters.' Ojert, who the complaint says remains employed at Samsung, did not respond to emails, voicemails, and texts seeking comment. Samsung is listed as the sole defendant in DeRosa's suit; Ojert is identified throughout as DeRosa's alleged workplace tormentor but is not being sued personally. DeRosa's is 'an accomplished sales leader with decades of experience in telecommunications,' nine years of which he spent at Samsung, according to his complaint. It says his first stint at Samsung began in February 2016, working under Ojert. But, even though DeRosa generated more than $150 million in revenue over the next 22 months, his complaint alleges Ojert treated him poorly, and DeRosa left Samsung in November 2017 for a new job elsewhere. In January 2019, DeRosa's then-employer underwent a restructuring and eliminated his role, according to the complaint. 'Despite the discrimination [DeRosa] faced during his first stint at Samsung, [he] was out of work and needed income,' the complaint states. 'Samsung re-hired DeRosa as a Senior Director of Sales, once again reporting to Ojert, a Senior Vice President.' As before, DeRosa 'consistently brought in lucrative deals that drew accolades from the highest ranks of the company,' and his performance reviews were 'overwhelmingly positive,' the complaint goes on. It says he received juicy bonuses for his efforts, including 'performance-based retention bonuses that Samsung only gave to its key employees.' Yet, Ojert allegedly ignored DeRosa's contributions and refused to promote him, according to the complaint, which maintains Ojert's 'motivations… were no mystery.' 'Throughout DeRosa's employment, Ojert consistently made demeaning comments about DeRosa's body and weight and treated him 'markedly differently' than DeRosa's non-disabled teammates,' the complaint states. Ojert is said to have repeatedly told DeRosa that he should try losing weight by undergoing chemotherapy, since a client of theirs who was also a breast cancer survivor had lost significant pounds during treatment. Ojert's comments 'suggested that [the client], like DeRosa, was obese and [Ojert] denigrated both of them for their body sizes,' the complaint states. DeRosa, who is Hispanic, also accuses Ojert of racial discrimination, saying he treated him less well than white and Asian employees. 'Ojert repeatedly yelled at and used abusive language towards [DeRosa] and his Hispanic colleagues,' according to the complaint, which says Ojert 'did not subject [non-Hispanic staffers] to similar abuse.' DeRosa reported the situation to upper management, after which things got even worse, the complaint alleges. It says Ojert's 'hostility towards [DeRosa] only escalated' in the aftermath, prompting DeRosa to take his grievances to HR. In late 2023, DeRosa was assured the company would investigate, the complaint continues. But when DeRosa still hadn't heard anything by early 2024, he emailed Samsung North America President and CEO KS Choi. 'At this point… Samsung finally assigned its internal investigator to investigate [DeRosa's] discrimination and retaliation claims,' the complaint states. In the meantime, Ojert's animus only intensified and in February 2024, DeRosa 'requested and received a leave of absence so that he could avoid Ojert's retaliatory conduct, which had become intolerable,' according to the complaint. It says DeRosa subsequently met several times with Samsung's internal investigator, providing detailed evidence of ongoing bias. But, the complaint alleges, Samsung 'never intended to investigate DeRosa's complaints in good faith.' For starters, the investigator told DeRosa from the very beginning that he 'would not be happy' with the outcome of the probe, the complaint asserts. In May 2024, it says Samsung notified DeRosa's attorney that it had concluded its investigation and would not be taking 'serious corrective action' against Ojert. Two months later, while DeRosa was still on leave, Samsung told him he was being laid off 'as part of a purported restructuring,' according to the complaint. This, DeRosa argues, was simply an excuse to get rid of him. While some others in the division were also let go, the complaint says a majority were engineering employees, not 'revenue-generating sales employees.' To that end, DeRosa was his unit's leading salesperson in 2023, his last full year of work at Samsung, securing 'close to $1 billion in revenue, by far exceeding any other Sales director on the account or division.' 'Samsung, on information and belief, shoehorned [DeRosa] into the restructuring because of its continued discrimination and retaliation against him,' the complaint alleges. DeRosa is asking the court to force Samsung to rehire him, and to bar the company from engaging in similar practices going forward. He is seeking back pay and benefits, attorneys' fees, compensatory damages for emotional distress, humiliation, and pain and suffering, and punitive damages to be determined by a jury.
Yahoo
20-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
‘Morbidly obese' Samsung exec's boss suggested he get chemotherapy to lose weight: lawsuit
A morbidly obese Samsung executive claims his manager relentlessly fat-shamed him in front of colleagues, belittling him with cruel remarks about his 'big ass,' as well as, among other things, repeated suggestions that he 'use 'chemo' as a weight-loss technique.' Joseph DeRosa, a former senior director of sales at the South Korean tech behemoth's U.S. Networks Division, says the experience was 'humiliating and hurtful,' particularly because his boss was well aware that DeRosa 'lost his mother to cancer and the side effects of chemotherapy treatment,' according to a newly filed federal lawsuit reviewed by The Independent. A Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 is considered obese; anything above 40 'suggests morbid obesity,' DeRosa's complaint states. It says DeRosa at the time had a BMI of 43, which qualifies as 'extreme obesity,' per NIH guidelines. Beyond disparaging the 58-year-old DeRosa about his weight, the complaint says Samsung SVP Magnus Ojert referred to DeRosa at teamwide meetings as a 'failed male prostitute,' insisting more than once that DeRosa – a top performer who landed a $6.7 billion contract one higher-up called the 'deal of the century' – achieved success by performing 'sexual favors' for clients. But when DeRosa complained to higher-ups, the complaint contends Ojert iced him out of meetings, unilaterally altered his remote-work arrangements, and gave him 'an unjustified negative performance review,' after which DeRosa was fired as part of a 'purported restructuring.' 'There was no legitimate reason to fire someone with DeRosa's stellar track record,' according to the complaint, which says DeRosa has since been replaced by someone without any prior sales experience. In an email on Thursday, a Samsung spokesperson told The Independent, 'It is our policy not to comment on personnel matters.' Ojert, who the complaint says remains employed at Samsung, did not respond to emails, voicemails, and texts seeking comment. Samsung is listed as the sole defendant in DeRosa's suit; Ojert is identified throughout as DeRosa's alleged workplace tormentor but is not being sued personally. DeRosa's is 'an accomplished sales leader with decades of experience in telecommunications,' nine years of which he spent at Samsung, according to his complaint. It says his first stint at Samsung began in February 2016, working under Ojert. But, even though DeRosa generated more than $150 million in revenue over the next 22 months, his complaint alleges Ojert treated him poorly, and DeRosa left Samsung in November 2017 for a new job elsewhere. In January 2019, DeRosa's then-employer underwent a restructuring and eliminated his role, according to the complaint. 'Despite the discrimination [DeRosa] faced during his first stint at Samsung, [he] was out of work and needed income,' the complaint states. 'Samsung re-hired DeRosa as a Senior Director of Sales, once again reporting to Ojert, a Senior Vice President.' As before, DeRosa 'consistently brought in lucrative deals that drew accolades from the highest ranks of the company,' and his performance reviews were 'overwhelmingly positive,' the complaint goes on. It says he received juicy bonuses for his efforts, including 'performance-based retention bonuses that Samsung only gave to its key employees.' Yet, Ojert allegedly ignored DeRosa's contributions and refused to promote him, according to the complaint, which maintains Ojert's 'motivations… were no mystery.' 'Throughout DeRosa's employment, Ojert consistently made demeaning comments about DeRosa's body and weight and treated him 'markedly differently' than DeRosa's non-disabled teammates,' the complaint states. Ojert is said to have repeatedly told DeRosa that he should try losing weight by undergoing chemotherapy, since a client of theirs who was also a breast cancer survivor had lost significant pounds during treatment. Ojert's comments 'suggested that [the client], like DeRosa, was obese and [Ojert] denigrated both of them for their body sizes,' the complaint states. DeRosa, who is Hispanic, also accuses Ojert of racial discrimination, saying he treated him less well than white and Asian employees. 'Ojert repeatedly yelled at and used abusive language towards [DeRosa] and his Hispanic colleagues,' according to the complaint, which says Ojert 'did not subject [non-Hispanic staffers] to similar abuse.' DeRosa reported the situation to upper management, after which things got even worse, the complaint alleges. It says Ojert's 'hostility towards [DeRosa] only escalated' in the aftermath, prompting DeRosa to take his grievances to HR. In late 2023, DeRosa was assured the company would investigate, the complaint continues. But when DeRosa still hadn't heard anything by early 2024, he emailed Samsung North America President and CEO KS Choi. 'At this point… Samsung finally assigned its internal investigator to investigate [DeRosa's] discrimination and retaliation claims,' the complaint states. In the meantime, Ojert's animus only intensified and in February 2024, DeRosa 'requested and received a leave of absence so that he could avoid Ojert's retaliatory conduct, which had become intolerable,' according to the complaint. It says DeRosa subsequently met several times with Samsung's internal investigator, providing detailed evidence of ongoing bias. But, the complaint alleges, Samsung 'never intended to investigate DeRosa's complaints in good faith.' For starters, the investigator told DeRosa from the very beginning that he 'would not be happy' with the outcome of the probe, the complaint asserts. In May 2024, it says Samsung notified DeRosa's attorney that it had concluded its investigation and would not be taking 'serious corrective action' against Ojert. Two months later, while DeRosa was still on leave, Samsung told him he was being laid off 'as part of a purported restructuring,' according to the complaint. This, DeRosa argues, was simply an excuse to get rid of him. While some others in the division were also let go, the complaint says a majority were engineering employees, not 'revenue-generating sales employees.' To that end, DeRosa was his unit's leading salesperson in 2023, his last full year of work at Samsung, securing 'close to $1 billion in revenue, by far exceeding any other Sales director on the account or division.' 'Samsung, on information and belief, shoehorned [DeRosa] into the restructuring because of its continued discrimination and retaliation against him,' the complaint alleges. DeRosa is asking the court to force Samsung to rehire him, and to bar the company from engaging in similar practices going forward. He is seeking back pay and benefits, attorneys' fees, compensatory damages for emotional distress, humiliation, and pain and suffering, and punitive damages to be determined by a jury.
The Independent
19-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
‘Morbidly obese' Samsung exec's boss suggested he get chemotherapy to lose weight: lawsuit
A morbidly obese Samsung executive claims his manager relentlessly fat-shamed him in front of colleagues, belittling him with cruel remarks about his 'big ass,' as well as, among other things, repeated suggestions that he 'use 'chemo' as a weight-loss technique.' Joseph DeRosa, a former senior director of sales at the South Korean tech behemoth's U.S. Networks Division, says the experience was 'humiliating and hurtful,' particularly because his boss was well aware that DeRosa 'lost his mother to cancer and the side effects of chemotherapy treatment,' according to a newly filed federal lawsuit reviewed by The Independent. Body Mass Index (BMI) over 30 is considered obese; anything above 40 'suggests morbid obesity,' DeRosa's complaint states. It says DeRosa at the time had a BMI of 43, which qualifies as 'extreme obesity,' per NIH guidelines. Beyond disparaging the 58-year-old DeRosa about his weight, the complaint says Samsung SVP Magnus Ojert referred to DeRosa at teamwide meetings as a 'failed male prostitute,' insisting more than once that DeRosa – a top performer who landed a $6.7 billion contract one higher-up called the 'deal of the century' – achieved success by performing 'sexual favors' for clients. But when DeRosa complained to higher-ups, the complaint contends Ojert iced him out of meetings, unilaterally altered his remote-work arrangements, and gave him 'an unjustified negative performance review,' after which DeRosa was fired as part of a 'purported restructuring.' 'There was no legitimate reason to fire someone with DeRosa's stellar track record,' according to the complaint, which says DeRosa has since been replaced by someone without any prior sales experience. In an email on Thursday, a Samsung spokesperson told The Independent, 'It is our policy not to comment on personnel matters.' Ojert, who the complaint says remains employed at Samsung, did not respond to emails, voicemails, and texts seeking comment. Samsung is listed as the sole defendant in DeRosa's suit; Ojert is identified throughout as DeRosa's alleged workplace tormentor but is not being sued personally. DeRosa's is 'an accomplished sales leader with decades of experience in telecommunications,' nine years of which he spent at Samsung, according to his complaint. It says his first stint at Samsung began in February 2016, working under Ojert. But, even though DeRosa generated more than $150 million in revenue over the next 22 months, his complaint alleges Ojert treated him poorly, and DeRosa left Samsung in November 2017 for a new job elsewhere. In January 2019, DeRosa's then-employer underwent a restructuring and eliminated his role, according to the complaint. 'Despite the discrimination [DeRosa] faced during his first stint at Samsung, [he] was out of work and needed income,' the complaint states. 'Samsung re-hired DeRosa as a Senior Director of Sales, once again reporting to Ojert, a Senior Vice President.' As before, DeRosa 'consistently brought in lucrative deals that drew accolades from the highest ranks of the company,' and his performance reviews were 'overwhelmingly positive,' the complaint goes on. It says he received juicy bonuses for his efforts, including 'performance-based retention bonuses that Samsung only gave to its key employees.' Yet, Ojert allegedly ignored DeRosa's contributions and refused to promote him, according to the complaint, which maintains Ojert's 'motivations… were no mystery.' 'Throughout DeRosa's employment, Ojert consistently made demeaning comments about DeRosa's body and weight and treated him 'markedly differently' than DeRosa's non-disabled teammates,' the complaint states. Ojert is said to have repeatedly told DeRosa that he should try losing weight by undergoing chemotherapy, since a client of theirs who was also a breast cancer survivor had lost significant pounds during treatment. Ojert's comments 'suggested that [the client], like DeRosa, was obese and [Ojert] denigrated both of them for their body sizes,' the complaint states. DeRosa, who is Hispanic, also accuses Ojert of racial discrimination, saying he treated him less well than white and Asian employees. 'Ojert repeatedly yelled at and used abusive language towards [DeRosa] and his Hispanic colleagues,' according to the complaint, which says Ojert 'did not subject [non-Hispanic staffers] to similar abuse.' DeRosa reported the situation to upper management, after which things got even worse, the complaint alleges. It says Ojert's 'hostility towards [DeRosa] only escalated' in the aftermath, prompting DeRosa to take his grievances to HR. In late 2023, DeRosa was assured the company would investigate, the complaint continues. But when DeRosa still hadn't heard anything by early 2024, he emailed Samsung North America President and CEO KS Choi. 'At this point… Samsung finally assigned its internal investigator to investigate [DeRosa's] discrimination and retaliation claims,' the complaint states. In the meantime, Ojert's animus only intensified and in February 2024, DeRosa 'requested and received a leave of absence so that he could avoid Ojert's retaliatory conduct, which had become intolerable,' according to the complaint. It says DeRosa subsequently met several times with Samsung's internal investigator, providing detailed evidence of ongoing bias. But, the complaint alleges, Samsung 'never intended to investigate DeRosa's complaints in good faith.' For starters, the investigator told DeRosa from the very beginning that he 'would not be happy' with the outcome of the probe, the complaint asserts. In May 2024, it says Samsung notified DeRosa's attorney that it had concluded its investigation and would not be taking 'serious corrective action' against Ojert. Two months later, while DeRosa was still on leave, Samsung told him he was being laid off 'as part of a purported restructuring,' according to the complaint. This, DeRosa argues, was simply an excuse to get rid of him. While some others in the division were also let go, the complaint says a majority were engineering employees, not 'revenue-generating sales employees.' To that end, DeRosa was his unit's leading salesperson in 2023, his last full year of work at Samsung, securing 'close to $1 billion in revenue, by far exceeding any other Sales director on the account or division.' 'Samsung, on information and belief, shoehorned [DeRosa] into the restructuring because of its continued discrimination and retaliation against him,' the complaint alleges. DeRosa is asking the court to force Samsung to rehire him, and to bar the company from engaging in similar practices going forward. He is seeking back pay and benefits, attorneys' fees, compensatory damages for emotional distress, humiliation, and pain and suffering, and punitive damages to be determined by a jury.
The Sun
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Sun
I was called a ‘fat pig' at the gym by a small sausage energy bloke – I'm raging… and his response stunned me even more
A WOMAN who was fat shamed at the gym has admitted she was even more stunned by the man's response. Jade explained that she was getting her "steps in" on the treadmill when she was approached by another gymgoer. 2 2 "And he goes, 'you know if you walked a bit faster, you might lose a bit of weight '," Jade said in a video on her TikTok page. And when she asked if he was talking to her, the man replied: "Yeah, do I have to speak fat pig for you to understand?" Jade added that after the shocking incident, she realised her best response would have been to "oink" at him. Instead, she asked what gave him the "confidence" to talk to her like that, to which he "walked off and ignored me". She then told the staff at the gym, who "chucked him out", but questioned how "men have the audacity" to speak to women like that. "I hope he's embarrassed," Jade continued, admitting she'd had to get herself a doughnut afterwards. "I'm not embarrassed. I just carried on doing my thing!" "I was like, I'm just gonna get back on the treadmill," Jade, who is walking 60 miles in June to raise money for the Young Minds Trust, continued. "Not that it's ever okay to call someone fat but why are you especially calling them fat in an in an environment in which they are actively trying to be less fat? "Make it make sense!" I've been fat shamed my whole life but I don't cover up and I wear less clothes than ever before, I even teach yoga naked She concluded by calling him a "small sausage joker", before adding in the caption: "Just me and my doughnut getting fat shamed." People immediately raced to the comments section to have their say on the shocking behaviour, as one wrote: "Get his gym membership removed !! Report! Vile!" "Please if you have the energy follow this up with management to ensure he is not allowed back," another said. "This is absolutely vile behaviour." "I am shocked! What did the gym staff say when you complained?" a third asked. "They were so good, they went and spoke to him straightaway and asked him to leave," Jade replied. "They made sure I was okay as well and checked in again before I left." "Fat shaming someone who is actively working out at the gym is some low IQ behaviour," someone else pointed out. "Exactly why I won't use gyms, rather get fit in my living room," another agreed. "Ughhhhh men ruin this planet I swear!" someone else raged. As another wrote: "Some men just hate happy confident women. "As a bigger person on a weight loss journey who's had a similar experience, I always say well being fat ain't stopped me from getting f**ked!" "Gross behaviour," someone else raged. "No matter if your small wanting to build muscle or bigger wanting to lose weight, it takes guts to step into a gym and do something about it. "People like that are mostly confused by confident people who are secure in their own bodies, when they're insecure in theirs."
