Kim Coles Gets Candid About Body Shaming On Set Of ‘Living Single’
Kim Coles, best known for her role as Synclaire James on the hit ‘90s sitcom Living Single, is opening up about the fatphobic pressure she faced behind the scenes—saying producers once told her straight up: lose weight or be the butt of the joke.
In a resurfaced interview that’s making its rounds again on social media, Coles didn’t sugarcoat her experience on set. “The producers of the show came to me and said, ‘Listen, we want you to lose weight. And if you don’t, we’re going to write it into the script. We’re going to put fat jokes in.’”
Hollywood has long had a toxic relationship with beauty standards, especially for Black women. And hearing this from someone as lovable and iconic as Kim Coles? It hits different. She was funny, vibrant, and hella relatable. But apparently, that wasn’t enough for execs who were trying to box her into a size, not a character arc.
Coles shared that the comments shook her confidence. She questioned her worth and even felt like she had to “earn” her place on the show by conforming. But instead of crumbling, sis rose up. “I’m proud of the work I did. I brought myself to that role,” she said in another interview.
Let’s be clear—Kim Coles is not alone in this experience. Black actresses from Mo’Nique to Gabourey Sidibe have been subjected to similar scrutiny. This is why we continue to speak out and hold folks accountable.