Jameela Jamil Is Giving Grace to ‘Problematic’ Brands

Since Adweek sat down with Jamil, she’s encountered a social media backlash for posting a series of love heart emojis under an Instagram post from Lizzo, in which the latter denied allegations from dancers regarding sexual harassment and working conditions.

In her own statement, Jamil said she was not jumping to conclusions about what happened, but instead showing support to the musician for being “ripped to shreds” over her appearance among the press coverage.

Prior to that she faced criticism from corners of the body positivity community who accused her of being disingenuous in her activism and dealt with a backlash over her appointment as a judge on Legendary, a TV competition inspired by LGBT ballroom culture.

More recently, she shut down reports she was “feuding” with The Last of Us star Bella Ramsey of gendered entertainment awards categories, following an Instagram post from Jamil posing a question about the potential for a separate non-binary category.

Answering how she dealt with the double-edged sword that is social media, she said: “Most people tell me my honesty and being honest about my own growth has inspired them. People feel like you’re either perfect or you shouldn’t participate at all.”

“As long as I can change the narrative for people that do pay attention to me, that’s what makes me happy.”