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Wasting Away: 27 Celebs Who Got Scary Skinny

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Mar. 24 2020, Updated 2:49 p.m. ET

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Celebrities are constantly scrutinized for either being way too fat or way too skinny and their job can literally (and unfairly) depend on their BMI. With access to the best trainers and celebrity chefs, the stars do always try to look their best and stay healthy. But once a celebrity is spotted looking way too thin everyone starts getting worried and blaming drug abuse, eating disorders, or other health issues.

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Many celebrities have struggled with eating disorders and have been open about their body images issues, often urging other women not to use a famous person's frame as a body standard, and to get help for any eating disorders they may be suffering from.

Other skinny celebrities ignore the comments and keep flaunting their thin frames and are frequently body shamed or accused of promoting unhealthy behavior and anorexia. Thankfully Hollywood is starting diversify its choice of body types that grace the screen, and the pressure to be a size 0 might finally go away.

MORE: INSIDE REBORN ROB KARDASHIAN’S WEIGHT-LOSS SURGERY OVERHAUL!

Whether from stress, for work, diets, or drugs, here are 27 celebrities that got scary skinny!

Get the exclusive celebrity scoop on all the stars you love before any of your friends by subscribing to our new podcast Straight Shuter below!

1. Sarah Hyland

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Sarah Hyland was accused of promoting anorexia in 2017 after uploading a photo on Instagram that showed her thin frame. She was body shamed by haters on the internet and wrote an open letter on twitter saying, "I write this because I've been accused of promoting anorexia in, ironically enough, an anti-bullying post," Hyland continued. "And I want young girls to know that's NOT my intention." "My circumstances have put me in a place where I'm not in control of what my body looks like. So I strive to be as healthy as possible, as everyone should." She went on to explain that she was struggling with kidney dysplasia and had to get a kidney transplant. After the surgery she was on bed rest and lost muscle mass since she could no longer work out which caused her to lose a lot of weight. Hyland then asked for privacy  as she got healthy both physically and mentally. Hyland is still not back to her normal weight but is adamant about calling out body shamers and is happy with the progress she's made and the fact that she's alive.

2. Kate Moss

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Kate Moss has literally been quoted saying  "nothing tastes as good as skinny feels" so it's no surprise that she has gotten way too skinny in the past. Her infamous quote was made during an interview with fashion news website WWD and she faced backlash. Eating disorder charities like Beat called her comments "dangerous" and "unhelpful" for young girls suffering. Moss became the face of the "heroin chic" trend that started in the '90s but she has maintained her position that she never had an eating disorder nor did heroin but just "didn't eat" because she was too busy. She told Interview magazine, "I was never anorexic, so I was never that skinny. I was never bony-bony. But I remember thinking, 'I don't want to be this skinny' I didn't eat for a long time. Not on purpose. I was constantly doing shows and flying economy…nobody ever fed me."

3. Courtney Love

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America's favorite hot mess  Courtney Love has been very open about her issues with drug abuse—and her fluctuating weight as a result of it. People have always been concerned that she was too skinny but in 2009 she was at her thinnest while she was dealing with financial issues. She claimed millions of dollars had gone missing from Kurt Cobain's estate and it was affecting her life. She vowed to gain weight and admitted "I know I've got too skinny" but denied having body dysmorphia or an eating disorder. Love is 5'10 and was down to 118 pounds in 2009 but now looks healthy and happy enjoying time with her daughter.

4. Whitney Cummings

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Whitney Cummings gained 25 pounds in 2015 after realizing that she was getting way too thin. She explained on the Today show that being on camera messes with your perception of your body and she was convincing herself that she needed to lose weight.  Cummings even opened up about her eating disorder in her memoir I’m Fine… And Other Lies and explained in interviews, "It didn't occur to me that I had an eating disorder even though I almost exclusively ate sugar-free Twizzlers and Diet Sunkist." Thankfully, Cummings gained weight, is living a healthy lifestyle and looks amazing.

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5. Angelina Jolie

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Angelina Jolie's weight has always fluctuated from fit to skinny to alarmingly skinny. In 2012 Jolie addressed her weight and admitted "I am too thin. I don’t like that I’m that thin, if I could snap my fingers tomorrow and put on 15 pounds, I’d be so happy. If it went in the right places."  But in 2017 she looked skinnier than ever amid her very public divorce with Brad Pitt. at the Toronto film festival in 2017 everyone was alarmed at her thin arms and frame. Jolie hasn't acted in any major box office films for a few years but seems to be enjoying her life with her children. Unfortunately, she might be underweight again. 

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6. Nicole Richie

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Everyone remembers the shocking 2006 photo of Nicole Richie running on the beach wearing a bikini, all skin, and bones. The beautiful socialite was among other young celebrities like Lindsey Lohan battling eating disorders in 2006 and it's reported that Richie got down to an alarming 88 pounds. Thankfully she was able to get help and went to rehab that year to battle anorexia. Over the years her weight has continued to fluctuate, causing others to feat that she relapsed. In 2017 after she posted an Instagram video looking scary thin, she told Vanity Fair "I know I’m too thin right now, so I wouldn’t want any young girl looking at me and saying, ‘That’s what I want to look like.' But I do know that they will, which is another reason I really do need to do something about it. I’m not happy with the way I look right now.” With the help of a nutritionist and support of her family, the mother of two is healthy again.

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7. Giuliana Rancic

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Giuliana Rancic success has been relatively drama-free. But in 2015 people started questioning whether or not the star had an eating disorder because of her thin frame on the red carpet. They took it to Twitter and body shamed her to the point that she was forced to speak out. Rancic acknowledged that she knew she looked too skinny but she can't help it, because she's battling cancer.

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8. Tara Reid

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Tara Reid has had her fair share of ups and downs over the years. From partying, nip slips, and rehab, she has been all over the tabloids for infamous moments. In 2008 the party girl went to rehab for problems with alcohol but she was spotted buying wine in 2014 looking scary thin.  Then on Halloween in 2016 she turned heads again dressed as a very skinny Santa (oh the irony). Unfortunately, Reids' thin frame is still shrinking, and reportedly has gotten down to 85 pounds. 

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9. Bethenny Frankel

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Fans have always been concerned that Bethenny Frankel was taking her "Skinny Girl" brand too literally. Frankel was never shy about her desire to look thin on the show but in 2014 she started being described as "skeletal." In an Instagram post she shared in 2014 fans were asking her to get help and magazines questioned if her weight loss had gone too far. Frankel has continuously defended her weight and attributes her thin frame to her knowledge about healthy dieting and weight and insists that she eats.

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10. Hillary Duff

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Many people know Hillary Duff as the one somewhat normal or successful Disney star without a public breakdown. She was however struggling with the pressure to be thin when she was 18, becoming what she said "obsessed." Duff told People, "I was too thin...That was not a healthy place for me. I was so unhappy. I remember my hands cramping because I wasn't getting enough nutrients." Thankfully Duff was always surrounded by good people and was able to get healthy. She is now a happy mother and says she doesn't really care about being skinny anymore.

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11. Victoria Beckham

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Victoria Beckham is one of the few Spice Girls who is still celebrated not only for her chic style but also her continuing happy marriage to David Beckham. Her life seems perfect but she has been open about her past struggles with eating disorders while she was in the band. In her memoir Learning To Fly she described that she would be "In the gym, instead of checking my posture or position, I was checking the size of my bottom, or to see if my double chin was getting any smaller." She also explained how it was her band mate Geri Hailway that encouraged her and Mel to do liquid diets and focus on their weight. Beckham was able to get healthy, but in 2017 looked super skinny again causing concerns that she was less than 100 pounds.

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12. Tori Spelling

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Tori Spelling has sparked talk about her weight loss multiple times in the past but she was at her skinniest in 2009. Spelling was dealing with financial issues and marital troubles and started wasting away. In her book TerriTori she blamed swine flu, stomach pain, migraines and nerve problems for her weight loss.

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13. Ariana Grande

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Pop princess Ariana Grande had fans worried in 2015 when she arrived to the 57th annual Grammy awards looking classy but boney. Everyone took to Twitter about how thin she looked and it wasn't the first time people were concerned. She addressed similar speculation in 2013 when she was unrecognizable from her Nickelodeon days and explained that she just cut out junk food. Grande has maintained that she is healthy and not too thin and explained, "Yes, I lost a bit of weight last year. It's because I stopped eating junk food and started making healthy choices. I was happy with the way I was before and I'm still happy now! Just healthier!"

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14. Kiera Knightley

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Kiera Knightley has been avoiding comments about her weight for years and has denied struggling with an eating disorder. In 2008 Knightley was skin and collar bones on the red carpet and the same comments about her weight reignited. It got so bad the Knightley's mom even felt the need to explain to press that she got her thin frame from her father and not an eating disorder. Knightley is sick of everyone's hate and explained to ABC that she would never encourage her daughter to become an actress because of the scrutiny she faced in the industry.

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15. Kate Bosworth

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After playing a toned and sexy surfer on Blue Crush, Kate Bosworth started to look skeletal. In 2016 she was wasting away and looked unhealthy. Bosworth admitted that she was way too thin and explained that it was because of the stress she was dealing with. She urged people to stay healthy and not use her thin frame as a standard of beauty and explained "I was concerned for my health and my fans, the public. I would have said, Please don't look at this as the standard of some kind of beauty or health."

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16. Sarah Jessica Parker

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Sarah Jessica Parker is one of America's favorite actresses but the world was worried when Parker was flexing some seriously skinny arms in 2010. Her collar bones were sharp and you could see every bone in her body. Experts weighed in on her appearance to gossip sites and estimated that she was at around 11% body fat! Since 2010, Parker's weight has gone up and down but she hasn't been as thin as she was at that time and seems to be in healthy spirits.

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17. Lindsay Lohan

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Lindsay Lohan's life and career has been a roller coaster full of drama. From partying and drugs to her weight, she was all over tabloids in early 2006 for her crazy antics. People were worried about the star when she was seen getting skinnier and skinnier amid swirling rumors of drug abuse. In 2006 Lohan addressed the rumors and admitted to Vanity Fair that she was struggling with bulimia and had experimented with drugs in the past. She explained how people around her like former cast mates Tina Fey and Amy Poehler were concerned with her health and said "Everyone was scared.. and I was scared too. I had people sit me down and say, 'You're going to die if you don't take care of yourself.'" Lohan was in and out of rehab for the next few years and has continuously struggled with personal issues but has thankfully never been as thin as she was in 2006.

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18. Rachel Zoe

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Rachel Zoe is one of the most famous stylists but has been warding off eating disorder rumors for years. Zoe addressed her weight to Harper's Bazaar in 2008 and explained "Truthfully, I've never seen myself as being too thin… Sometimes I'll look at photos and be like, 'Oh, that's not a good look.' But generally speaking, I'm not too thin." Since 2008 Zoe's weight has fluctuated but in 2016 she looked shockingly thin again at an InStyle Awards event.

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19. Mary-Kate Olsen

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Mary-Kate Olsen has allegedly struggled with eating disorders throughout her life and has been photographed through the years looking very skinny. Olsen's rep confirmed that she sought treatment for anorexia nervosa at Cirque Lodge in 2004 and explained “This is a challenge that Mary-Kate has made a decision to face." Olsen's weight continued to be a topic of conversation and in 2016 she was photographed in a black bikini looking very thin. But Olsen has stayed relatively private about her reported issues mostly remaining out of the public eye except for rare red carpet appearances she make with her sister. When she does make public appearances she is usually in baggy clothes which might be a strategic move considering everyone is so critical about her appearance. Let's hope she stays healthy!

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20. Denise Richards

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Denise Richards used to be a curvy sex bomb but in 2013 her thin frame gained national attention. When photographs of her toothpick arms hit news stands people were asking what was wrong with her. Tabloids got so bad that Charlie Sheen felt it was necessary to tweet and defend  her and wrote "STOP the inane reports of Denise's weight! She's SO healthy!" If there's one person who knows health its definitely Charlie Sheen. Richards defended her weight on red carpets and told reporters that she had a very healthy lifestyle and was just busy but people were still concerned. Richards took some time away from the public eye and also put on some healthy weight. In March 2018 photos of her and her new guy were posted on RadarOnline.com, where she looked healthy and happy.

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21. LeAnn Rimes

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LeAnn Rimes shocked fans in 2011 when she appeared half her size in public. Photos of Rimes running in a bikini had people concerned about her weight loss. It seemed like the comments everyone made about her too thin body caused Rimes realize that she needed to take control of her health and she started to gain weight again. She looked healthy and fit in 2013 and opened up about her weight loss to Closer Magazine, saying that she looked back at photos and realized maybe she was too skinny. She explained that during this time she was struggling with the stress of a public feud with her husband's ex Brandi Glanville and it took a toll on her body. While others stress eat, she did the opposite. Rimes went to rehab to get help and came out a healthier woman both physically and mentally.

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22. Amal Clooney

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Amal Clooney looked healthy and fit when they first started dating George Clooney, but in 2015 she started to look very thin in public and people were worried that she weighed only 100 pounds.  An expert spoke to RadarOnline.com and said it appeared she was less than 15% body fat which could put her health at risk. After giving birth to twins in 2017 Amal lost weight rapidly and people were concerned for her health again. Thankfully since then she has managed to bulk up a bit and looks thin but fit.

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23. Farrah Abraham

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Farrah Abraham is one of the most scandalous D-listers to come out of 16 and Pregnant and there is nothing she can do to shock the world. From sex tapes, plastic surgery, and sex swings the world has literally seen it all from the mom. But the once curvaceous porn star was spotted looking scary skinny while paddle boarding on vacation in Fiji. Abraham insists that she is healthy and exclusively told RadarOnline.com the only reason why she looks so thin is because she hasn't been able to workout since her designer vagina surgery but is going to get back to her fitness regime soon.

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24. Aaron Carter

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Backstreet Boy Nick Carter's little brother Aaron Carter tried his best to stay relevant but it wasn't until his 2017 DUI and drug arrest that he made national headlines again. His mugshot was sad and he looked like he desperately needed help. Photos of Carter were on tabloids everywhere and he looked sickly thin and clearly on drugs. He appeared on The Doctors in 2017 and tested positive for benzodiazepines and opiates. He addressed the comments people had been making about his appearance and broke down saying, “I’m concerned about my overall health because people tell me I look like I have AIDS or I look like I have cancer or I look like I’m dying,” he said in tears. “I didn’t realize I was 115 pounds. That is terrible. I wasn’t looking at myself in the mirror because I didn’t like the way I looked." Since 2017 Carter got himself together, gained 30 pounds and announced that he has new music and a new sense of worth and sobriety and he can't wait to finish 2018 strong.

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25. Kendall Jenner

Not all the Kardashians are thick and bootylicious! Kendall Jenner is an unstoppable supermodel but in 2015 people were wondering if she was getting too skinny. RadarOnline.com reported that France enacted a law that required models to have a BMI of 18 in order to walk on the catwalk and at 5'10 Jenner would have to weigh 125 pounds. Jenner's body fluctuates from skinny to skinnier and she is constantly under public scrutiny for either being too fat or too skinny. After posting a photo in 2018 with a slightly bloated tummy on Instagram she was forced to call out body shamers claiming she looked pregnant.

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26. Johnny Depp

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Johnny Depp used to be everyone's favorite pirate but he's starting to look a little sea sick! While touring Europe with his band Hollywood Vampires he was spotted looking almost unrecognizable. A source told RadarOnline.com that his new too thin figure is because of his recent sobriety mixed with stress from his messy and very public divorce from Amber Head. Depp is also in the middle of getting sued by his management! With money and love issues it's no surprise that Depp's problems are, well, causing him to wear thin. Hopefully he gets healthy again soon!

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27. Anne Hathaway

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Anne Hathaway went from playing nerdy princesses to bad ass action heroes and has had a successful acting career with little drama. But in 2010 she started looking frail at events. The actress is dressed by Zoe who has been criticized in the past for telling young stars to lose weight and people started wondering if it was her fault. Hathaway had previously declared to UK ELLE "I've hit the point in my life where I understand that being skinny is not sustainable, and nor is it advisable, and nor is it enjoyable" so her sudden weight loss was surprising. Hathaway's weight has also fluctuated because of the roles she played. She worked out five days a week and followed a strict diet regime to get in her cat suit for Batman: The Dark Knight Rises (2012) then had to lose 25 pounds to play a frail prostitute with tuberculosis in Les Miserables.  

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