Melissa McCarthy addresses Rex Reed's weight insults
Oscar-nominated actress Melissa McCarthy is speaking out on a film critic's remarks about her weight.
When the "Bridesmaids" star's "Identity Thief" was released in theaters in February, one of the comedy's scathing write-upscame from long-time reviewer Rex Reed, who singled out McCarthy's weight in particular while blasting the film.
In a review for The New York Observer, Reed called the "Mike and Molly" actress "tractor-sized." He didn't stop there, noting: "McCarthy...is a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success."
At the time, Reed's comments drew the ire of many readers and those working in the film industry, but McCarthy never publicly addressed the matter until now.
In a profile piece published in The New York Times on Thursday, the 42-year-old actress said she had wondered why Reed's comments were allowed to be published in the first place.
"I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate," McCarthy told the 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."
McCarthy, who will star with Sandra Bullock in the upcoming buddy cop comedy, "The Heat," has been married to her "Bridesmaids" co-star Ben Falcone since 2005. The couple have two children together: 6-year-old Vivian and 3-year-old Georgette.
As the mother of two daughters, McCarthy said she's concerned about the message that's being sent to young women today. She said a review like Reed's "may have crushed" her had she read it in her 20s.
Tell us: Do you think Reed went to far with his comments about McCarthy's body size?
