Nelly Furtado is being hit with a wave of daily abuse since sharing photos of her "new silhouette," and described the constant fat-shaming as "relentless," RadarOnline.com can reveal.
The Canadian singer, 46, who rose to fame with I'm Like a Bird in 20000, returned to the public eye earlier this year after a six-year hiatus, focusing on motherhood and personal projects.
In January, she posted bikini shots to Instagram, celebrating her natural figure and advocating for body confidence, a move that quickly made her a target for online trolling.
'Cruel' Messages Aimed At Furtado
"I can't open my messages without seeing something cruel," Furtado is said to have confided in pals. "It's become a daily occurrence since I embraced my curves publicly. I've had to limit my time online for my own peace."
Furtado also said behind closed doors she wanted her posts to be about self-love, not an invitation for unsolicited comments about her body.
In a now-viral post, Furtado wrote: "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."
She stressed she had never had face or body surgeries or augmentations, apart from dental veneers, and relied on old-school beauty routines, styling tricks, and makeup to achieve certain looks.
Will She Sue?
Close friends say the star is so shaken by fat-shaming trolls she wants to take legal action against individuals targeting her.
"She's always been fiercely protective of her image," a source claimed. "But this is the first time she's had to deal with this kind of targeted harassment every single day."
Fans had initially flooded her Instagram with praise, celebrating her as a "refreshing" and "real" representation of women in their 40s.
Comments hailed her Portuguese heritage and "Venus goddess" curves. But alongside the praise came criticism that Furtado describes as "deeply personal and exhausting."
Elon Musk's platform X is filled with fat-shaming comments about Furtado, seen by RadarOnline.com and too vile to reprint here.
Another insider said: "It's so vicious, the comments are verging on hate speech."
Furtado Wants To Inspire Others
Despite the trolling, Furtado says her return to the spotlight has brought her joy.
She said: "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!"
Born to Portuguese parents in British Columbia, Furtado has long connected her love of fashion to her upbringing in a family of tailors and seamstresses.
"Portuguese culture is very much about festival culture – you have to dress up for Festa and turn it out," she added.
The mother of three shares daughter Nevis, 21, with ex-partner Jasper Gahunia, and two younger children – a 7-year-old daughter and 6-year-old son – with rapper Jerry.
She has previously spoken about the challenges of balancing her artistic career with motherhood, telling an audience last year: "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."
In 2023, Furtado also revealed she had been diagnosed with ADHD 18 months earlier, and has found dance training a helpful tool for managing symptoms.
"The discipline really helps my brain," she said. "I'm getting to know my brain really well, and I love talking about it."
For now, she says, she will keep sharing her story despite the negativity.
"I know what I see in the mirror, and I'm okay with it," she said. "We're all just cute little humans bouncing around the Earth looking for hugs."
