Social media influencer Tova Leigh has hit back at trolls who sent her abusive messages, including calling her a 'fat cow' and 'ugly as f***'. The mother-of-three, who has over 414,000 Instagram followers, regularly posts about body positivity and women's issues. She shared screenshots of the comments, along with the names of the users who made them, in a recent post.
Leigh, who is based in London, said she was sharing the comments to highlight how some men react when women talk about their experiences. 'It never stops fascinating me how some men react when women talk about how we feel. About OUR experience in the world,' she wrote. 'Not all men, of course – many listen, reflect, and even learn. But some don’t. Some lash out.'
The author and comedian said that insults like 'ugly' or 's***' are used as weapons to silence women. 'As if shouting them loudly enough will make us shrink, stop speaking, stop taking up space,' she said. 'But the truth is, it has the opposite effect on me.'
Leigh's post gained more than 3,300 likes and hundreds of supportive comments. One follower called her a 'QUEEN', while another said she was an inspiration. Leigh said she speaks out for her daughters, adding: 'I never want my daughters to believe that a man’s opinion of their bodies, their age, or the way they choose to live should make them smaller.'
She concluded: 'So instead of hiding, I stand here – visible, unapologetic – celebrating the woman I am, in the body I have.'
