"Baywatch" star Carmen Electra has revealed that she was told to lose weight while she appeared in the hit series.
The model, 52, famously portrayed lifeguard Lani McKenzie on season 8 of the show from 1997 to 1998, and while she soon became the epitome of sexy with her curves, Electra has now revealed in an interview that she was told she was "too heavy" at one point.
"I never had a weigh-in but I was told sometimes that I was too heavy and I've looked back now and I don't think I was," she told a reporter at the Los Angeles premiere of the docuseries "After Baywatch: Moment in the Sun," according to the New York Post.
Electra reflected on these early days with Extra TV, noting that she grew up studying classical ballet and being told to lose weight was a narrative she took to heart and carried around with her for a long time.
"When I look back, I love my body and I love that I was curvy and not, like, straight up and down. Those times have changed. You can't do that anymore," she said.
"It was kind of the beginning of those times where producers could come to you and say, 'You need to stop eating some snacks.' For that moment, I really did take it seriously as a professional dancer because that was always engraved into my mind growing up."
Back in 2013, "Baywatch" cast members Nicole Eggert and Traci Bingham revealed that they were contractually obligated to maintain a certain physique.
"There was a five-pound fluctuation [allowed], you couldn't go up or down," Eggert said at the time.
"If you did anything to gain or lose weight, etc., you were in trouble!" Bingham added.
During her interview with Extra TV, Electra said she embraced how times have changed since her time on the show.
"I love being a part of this time era where you can't just go in and tell someone how they should live, who they should date, and what weight you should be. I love what's happening now," she said.
"I feel like everyone is coming to be who they are and it's very accepted, you know? And I love the people that have supported me through my career," she added. "I know who they are, and my heart skips a beat because without everyone, there wouldn't be any of this."
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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