Vanessa Williams Recalls Being Requested To Lose Weight For 1996 Film “Eraser”: I Considered Lipo

Vanessa Williams

Vanessa Williams Recalls Being Requested To Lose Weight For 1996 Film “Eraser”: I Considered Lipo

Singer/actress Vanessa Williams is a bonafide legend in the entertainment industry and one of the most beautiful women in the world. However, that didn’t stop the powers that be in Hollywood from telling her that she wasn’t thin enough for a role.

Imagine telling the first black Miss America that she needed to lose weight to be considered for a movie role? That’s exactly what happened to the gorgeous Vanessa Williams back in the mid 90’s when she was up for the role, she ended up getting in Eraser with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

During a recent appearance on the daytime chat fest The Talk, Williams opened up about the pressures that Hollywood places on women to be as thin as possible. This led to her admission that before she was guaranteed for her role in Eraser, she had to lose weight—and considered several options to do so, including liposuction.

Williams stated:

“I was asked to come in to meet for ‘Eraser’ with Arnold Schwarzenegger. As a singer, it’s a matter of how well you sing, not if I can fit into the outfit. So, I wasn’t used to being judged by how skinny I was. I remember being asked by the producer, ‘Well, we’d like you to lose some weight.’”

She continued, adding:

“I literally went on a diet. I considered lipo, just to be able to be on screen. I lost a lot of weight. I did a lot of cardio. I did a lot of Pilates and I haven’t been that thin since. I got really skinny.”

Williams also noted the differences between body types in the black community and the intense pressure that young girls face today due to social media:

“Growing up in the black community, being curvy is celebrated. I’ve got 4 kids, my youngest is 19 and she’s on her phone all the time looking at stuff that’s filtered and trying to achieve something that’s almost unachievable because everyone’s either doctored themselves or starving themselves.”

What are your thoughts on Vanessa Williams being asked to lose weight for a movie role? Let us know in the comments!