Former Local 4 reporter Ashlee Baracy is making national headlines after calling out body-shamers during her pregnancy.
Baracy, now a meteorologist in Columbus, Ohio, announced her pregnancy back in February, and took to social media in June to call out body-shamers.
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“It started with comments like, ‘I thought your face looked fuller,’” Baracy told TODAY Style. “Someone warned me that I was gaining too much weight and to ‘watch my heart,’ and another said I was covering up temperatures on the weather map during my broadcasts.”
Baracy used social media to call out some of the hateful messages. One read: “Pregnant or not, buy bigger clothes!!! You look bloated and uncomfortable… it is not likely your dresses will survive another 20 weeks of pregnancy weight!”
The best is when someone like “Clay Walker” submits hate mail with an invalid email and disconnected phone number. My...
Posted by Ashlee Baracy on Friday, June 7, 2019
Baracy told Today that although she has thick skin, it still stings. “You have days, especially when you’re pregnant and dealing with hormones when you start to feel bad,” she said. “I’ve come home and shed a few tears, but for the most part I’ve stayed strong.”
"I hope sharing my story gets adults to look in the mirror and realize that self-image issues and the bullying epidemic in our youth starts with the example we are setting," Baracy told Local 4. "If a child hears their parent refer to someone on TV as ‘fat,’ what might the same child think of themselves when they look in the mirror or how will they perceive others and treat them in the future?"