The words “hot” and “flawless” easily came to mind upon the official release of her endorsement materials, but when the 30-year-old star herself talked about it, one adjective put both out of sight: real.

As she shared a clip of herself rocking different ensembles from H&M’s newest line, she got real about having second thoughts on accepting the project due to her body insecurities.

“Honestly, medyo hesitant ako at first to take on something out of my comfort zone,” she wrote in the description box of the video. “I have always been insecure about my body since lagi akong tinutukso na payatot nung bata ako.”

It took her a long time to be at peace with her figure. “Thankfully, as I grew older, I’ve slowly come to accept and love my body,” she continued, adding that her decision to collaborate with the brand’s swimsuit collection served as a way to celebrate “this milestone of mine on self-love and body positivity.”

In her early years in showbiz, Kim got criticized for her “skinny” appearance, with some even saying she was suffering from an eating disorder. The actress shut down the “anorexia” rumors in an interview, according to a 2008 report, stressing that she “practices a healthy lifestyle and that she actually has a really good appetite.”

To this day, Chiu continues to keep her health and wellness in check by squeezing physical activities into her days like jump rope and yoga.

Article thumbnails from H&M Philippines