Media personality Chiki Kuruka has spoken out against the body shaming directed at South African singer Tyla following her appearance at the 2026 MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs).
Tyla, who turned heads on the VMAs carpet, found herself at the centre of an unexpected debate about her body, with some social media users commenting on her weight and appearance.
The discussion has since sparked a wider conversation about the increasingly intense scrutiny women face over their bodies, regardless of their size.
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Chiki Questions Return Of Size Zero Obsession
Reacting to the conversation, Chiki criticised what she described as the growing obsession with extreme thinness, arguing that society appears to be returning to beauty standards associated with the 1990s and early 2000s.
Chiki said she was disappointed to see the trend making a comeback, particularly because concerns about women’s health are now sometimes being used to justify comments about their bodies.
“And this right here is the result of the thinness aesthetic that is yet again taking over the world. I thought we were over the size 0 obsession in the 90s, that we KNOW caused mental health issues,” Chiki said.
She added:
“It’s so disappointing seeing us travel this road again, and this time even worse, masking it as health.”
Tyla Caught In Body-Shaming Debate
Chiki’s remarks came after social media users debated Tyla’s appearance at the VMAs, with some questioning her body while others came to her defence.
One social media user pointed out the apparent contradiction in the criticism women receive, writing that a woman can be labelled unhealthy when she is too thin and then criticised for being too big after gaining weight.
“So when a woman is too thin she is sick, and when she gains a little weight she is too big; women will never win,” the user said.
Another user argued that Tyla wasKenyan being body-shamed despite previously being considered too thin by some sections of the public.
‘Someone This Skinny Is Getting Fat Shamed’
The debate also prompted another striking reaction from social media users who questioned why Tyla was being subjected to fat-shaming despite her visibly slim appearance.
“Someone this skinny is getting fat-shamed. We are back in the early 2000s era,” one user remarked.
Others argued that celebrities are increasingly placed in a no-win situation, with people criticising them for being either too thin or too big.
