Jameela Jamilis the latest celebrity to join forces with Aerie tospread the message of body positivity.
The actress and activist opened up about her partnership with the apparel brand and how she came to play a role in its #AerieREAL Role Models Campaign.
It all began withI Weigh, a campaign she launched in 2017 tohelp individuals realize their worth.
“I Weigh started to make headlines and they were already big fans of our messaging,” the star, 32, tells PEOPLE in this week’s issue. “The fact that we represent radical inclusion and embrace all different types of beauty and all different types of people — and authenticity and female empowerment. So they approached me as a kind of collaboration with me and I Weigh to kind of bring that messaging to the forefront. I think that was really amazing for them to [launch] a platform to boost our message.”
For more on Jamil and the Aerie campaign, pick up this week’s issue of PEOPLE, on newsstands Friday.
For Jamil, this messaginghas been a priority of hersfor quite some time.
Jameela Jamil.Matt Baron/BEI/REX/Shutterstock
As Jamil continues toempower people through I Weighand, now, Aerie, she haswords of encouragementfor those struggling.
“I think the first thing you have to do is stop. And unfollow all of the accounts that are making you feel bad about yourself,” she says. “Stop buying the magazines that make you feel ashamed. Get rid of everything in you periphery that is encouraging the bullying in your head. And then I want you to sit and think about all the amazing things your body does for you. You get out of bed in the morning, you are able to breathe, your heart is beating, you have life. And it’s important to try and contextualize the body as an actual living thing.”
She adds, “Third of all, I want you to make a list of all the things you have accomplished and all of the amazing things in your life that you have that have nothing to do with looks and remember that you are a valid, whole human who is multifaceted and you do not owe it to anyone to look any particular way. You are worthy of love and happiness.”
source: people.com
