Melissa McCarthy, the comedic actress who had audiences in stitches with her role in 2011's "Bridesmaids," has opened up about the comments movie critic Rex Reed made about her weight back in February.
In his New York Observer review for McCarthy's film "Identity Thief" in February, Reed slammed the actress, describing her as "tractor-sized" and calling her a "female hippo."
"McCarthy is a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success," Reed wrote.
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Hollywood instantly came to McCarthy's defense.
"For his catty and school bully name-calling of the supremely talented Melissa McCarthy, I cordially invite Mr. Rex Reed to go f— himself," tweeted "Bridesmaids" director Paul Feig.
"Melissa McCarthy is one of the funniest actors working today. She is brilliant. Rex Reed is not," "NCIS" actor Brian Dietzen tweeted.
Now, McCarthy has opened up about how she felt during the whole ordeal.
"I felt really bad for someone who is
swimming in so much hate," she told the New York Times. "I just thought, that's someone who's in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot. I laugh my head off every day with my husband and my kids, who are mooning me and singing me songs."
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McCarthy worries about how a similar comment would affect a younger actress.
"[Articles like Reed's] just add to all those younger girls, that are not in a place in their life where they can say, 'That doesn’t reflect on me,'" she said.
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