People love a good "transformation" story. They see a photo of a celebrity from three years ago, compare it to a grainy paparazzi shot from last Tuesday, and start typing away about "weight gain" or "letting themselves go." Honestly, it’s exhausting. And for Camille Kostek—the former Sports Illustrated Swimsuit cover girl and longtime partner of Rob Gronkowski—this conversation has followed her like a shadow for years.
But here’s the thing: Camille isn’t "gaining weight" in the way the tabloids want you to think. She’s living.
If you’ve spent any time on her Instagram, you know she’s basically the human personification of a sunbeam. She’s "never not dancing." Yet, the internet still finds ways to nitpick. Back in 2019, she posted a photo in a neon bikini while on vacation in Cabo, and the trolls came out in droves. They called her "gross." They said she was a "wide load." They told her she needed a doctor.
She cried. Like, really cried. She even filmed herself crying to remember how much those words hurt in that moment. But then she did something very "Camille." She posted it. She showed the world that even a supermodel gets rattled by the BS.
The LA Meeting That Changed Everything
Early in her career, Camille sat at a round table in Los Angeles with a management team that basically told her she was a ghost in her own body. They gave her an ultimatum: gain weight to become a plus-size model or lose weight to fit into sample sizes.
"It felt like defeat," she said later.
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She was stuck in the "middle." Too curvy for high fashion, too "small" for plus-size. Instead of picking a lane, she just... didn't. She leaned into her natural shape. She stopped trying to shrink her hips and thighs to satisfy a room full of people in suits who didn't know the first thing about her.
Why the Weight Gain Rumors Won't Die
The search for Camille Kostek weight gain usually spikes whenever she wears something that isn't a compression-fit dress. It’s a weird obsession. You’ve probably seen the headlines. People act like a woman’s body is a static object, like a statue that’s never supposed to change.
But Camille’s philosophy is different. She doesn't count calories. She counts chemicals.
She’s a self-proclaimed "hummus monster." She eats gluten-free mostly because it makes her feel better, not to "diet." She loves avocado toast with Himalayan salt. She also loves pizza and mint chocolate chip ice cream.
If she looks "fuller" in a photo, it’s often just the reality of being a woman who enjoys her life. She’s mentioned before that she drinks tons of water but rarely touches alcohol. She uses resistance bands in hotel rooms and even in Ubers. She isn't "gaining weight" because she’s lazy; she’s just not starving herself to fit a 2005-era aesthetic.
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The "Own It" Mentality
In 2019, she went on her "Own It" tour, hitting up colleges to talk about body image. She wasn't just preaching; she was sharing her own struggles with body dysmorphia.
It's refreshing, really.
Most influencers try to hide the "valleys," as she calls them. Camille leans into them. She’s been very open about the fact that some days she wakes up and doesn't love what she sees in the mirror. That's human. That’s normal.
- The Diet: Mostly vegetarian, heavy on organic veggies and hummus.
- The "Rule": Eat clean 80% of the time, enjoy the ice cream the other 20%.
- The Movement: Dance, dance, and more dance. Plus those resistance bands she carries everywhere.
Dealing With the "Wide Load" Comments
When those trolls attacked her in 2019, it was a turning point. She realized that she could have 900 people telling her she’s an inspiration and two people calling her "wide," and those two would be the ones that stuck.
She’s since learned to protect her peace. She blocks people. She deletes the negativity.
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She reminds her followers that "rejection is redirection." If a brand didn't want her because of her hips, then that brand wasn't for her. Sports Illustrated was her big "yes" because they wanted her exactly as she was—freckles, curves, and all.
Actionable Insights: How to "Own It" Like Camille
If you’re struggling with your own body image or feeling the pressure of "weight gain" headlines, Camille’s journey offers a pretty solid blueprint for survival in a digital world.
- Audit Your Feed: If an account makes you feel like you need to change your body, hit unfollow. Camille did it. You can too.
- Count Chemicals, Not Calories: Focus on how food makes you feel. Does it give you energy or make you feel inflamed? Focus on "clean" ingredients rather than a number on a box.
- Find Your "Dance": Don't work out because you hate your body. Move because it feels good. For Camille, it’s dance. For you, it might be walking the dog or hitting a heavy bag.
- Practice Affirmations: Camille literally talks to herself in the mirror. "You're my best friend. I love you. I'm going to take care of you." It sounds cheesy until you actually try it and realize how mean you’ve been to yourself.
- Understand "The Middle": Most of us live in "the middle." We aren't runway thin and we aren't plus-size. We’re just human. Acceptance starts when you stop trying to force yourself into a category that doesn't fit.
The obsession with Camille Kostek weight gain says a lot more about our culture than it does about her. She’s healthy, she’s active, and she’s happy. If that means her weight fluctuates a few pounds here and there, who cares? She’s too busy dancing to notice.
Start by looking in the mirror today and picking one thing you actually like. Not something you "tolerate," but something you like. Build from there. That’s the Camille way.