Katie Couric is weighing in on the controversy surrounding the unedited photo of Khloé Kardashian that was posted to social media earlier this week without her permission, and the reality star's subsequent response.
In an Instagram post on Wednesday night, the Keeping Up with the Kardashians star shared "unretouched and unfiltered" photos and video of herself as she opened up about trying to learn to love herself despite the "unbearable" scrutiny she faces.
"The photo that was posted this week was beautiful. But as someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, when someone takes a photo of you that isn't flattering in bad lighting or doesn't capture your body the way it is after working to hard to get it to this point — and then shares it to the world — you should have every right to ask for it not to be shared — no matter who you are," Kardashian wrote in a lengthy statement featured in a gallery post which also included a video of the reality star showing off her figure in the mirror, as well as clips from an Instagram Live in which she briefly flashed her toned physique to viewers.
In a Thursday morning comment on a re-post of Kardashian's response, shared by @commentsbycelebs, the longtime television journalist, 64, began by praising Kardashian, 36, for her "raw and honest post."
"But I agree with those who say the non stop procedures and constant filters are promoting unrealistic and harmful beauty standards," she noted.
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In her Wednesday post, Kardashian went on to explain what it has been like to deal with "the pressure, constant ridicule and judgment my entire life to be perfect and to meet other's standards of how I should look has been too much to bear."
Kardashian then listed examples of unkind remarks that have been made about her: " 'Khloé is the fat sister.' 'Khloé is the ugly sister.' 'Her dad must not be her real dad because she looks so different.' 'The only way she could have lost that weight must have been from surgery.' "
"You never quite get used to being judged and pulled apart and told how unattractive one is, but I will say if you hear anything enough then you will start to believe it," she added. "This is how I have been conditioned to feel, that I am not beautiful enough just being me."
The Good American mogul said that, the same way she wears makeup or gets her nails done, she uses filters and photo edits to "present myself to the world the way I want to be seen," adding that "it's exactly what I will continue to do unapologetically."
She concluded, "My body, my image and how I choose to look and what I want to share is my choice. It's not for anyone to decide or judge what is acceptable anymore."
Couric is also no stranger to her appearance being edited or digitally alerted, having been at the hands of it during the course of her career.
In 2006, the then-incoming CBS Evening News anchor took in good stride articles in both the New York Post and the city's Daily News showing a photo of her in CBS promotional magazine Watch! that was digitally altered to make her look about 20 lbs. thinner.
"I liked the first picture better because there's more of me to love," the former Today show host previously said, according to the Daily News. (CBS spokeswoman Dana McClintock told the Daily News at the time, "The editorial staff of Watch! magazine retouched the photo without the knowledge of Miss Couric and CBS News management.")
Most recently, Couric embraced her natural beauty for the PEOPLE Beautiful Issue and admitted that while her gut reaction to going makeup-free for her photo shoot was "Hell no," after some thought, she ultimately decided, "Why not?"
"When we start seeing women as they age and appreciate the beauty that comes with that, women will stop trying to look young all the time," she told PEOPLE. "Someone said to me, 'I have so many wrinkles.' I said, 'I think wrinkles show a lifetime of laughing and smiling.' And that's an awesome thing to show on your face."
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