One Direction's Liam Payne calls out British tabloid Daily Mail for insulting his physique

One Direction singer Liam Payne is fighting back against criticism regarding his weight after the Daily Mail insulted him in a headline.

The 20-year-old British pop star has been vacationing in France with friends. After Payne posted a scandalous photo on Instagram and did a strip tease on a boat, critics and gossip sites on the Internet have been less than complementary about his weight.

The popular British entertainment site Daily Mail ripped on Payne for his lack of a chiseled tummy. “Liam Payne reveals his less than toned physique as he puffs on a cigarette and drinks with friends aboard a luxury yacht,” the headline reads.

Payne is in no way out of shape or at an unhealthy weight. To combat the unfavorable remarks about his body, the former X Factor contestant posted a joking photo on Instagram. The photo features the singer posing with a bemused expression and a large belly created by pillows stuffed under his shirt. “I mean OH MY GOD I'm just so fat these days I think I need help,” he captioned the snap. “Quick someone take the cookie jar.”


Image via Instagram from Liam Payne

Payne later posted a screenshot of his Body Mass Index to prove to fans that he is indeed at a healthy weight. He took jabs at the media for criticizing celebrities about their size in the description. “Now just because I'm sick of seeing this everyday so I just want to clear up what the media do to people these days. Is it wrong to be normal?” he asked. “Or do I have to look like an Olympic swimmer just to get your approval into the cool kids or can I accept that the person I truly love thinks I'm the coolest kid in town anyway?” Payne concluded, “Think I'll vote the second one 😉 enjoy your day people.”


Image via Instagram from Liam Payne

What do you think about the incident? Did Daily Mail take things too far?

Image courtesy of Jennifer Graylock/INFphoto.com

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