Kate Kope Responds to Comments About Her Weight: ‘Not That Fat’
Model Kate Kope is not here for body shaming—regardless of how subtle it may be.
“There’s nothing quite like getting humbled on your early morning @delta flight,” Kope, 27, shared in a TikTok video posted earlier this week, where she recounted an interaction with a woman seated next to her on a plane.
“If you ever want to feel better about yourself — I got off a flight the other day and the woman sitting next to me asked what I did for a living,” Kope explained in the video. “I said, ‘Oh, I’m a curve model. Like, you know, plus size but not really — curve, that’s what they call it now in this era.’ And she goes, ‘Oh, can I see your Instagram?’”
She went on, “I was trapped—I didn’t want to show her, but I had no choice, so I showed her my Instagram. She started scrolling through it, with my reels playing at full volume, letting everyone on the plane hear my embarrassing work-related posts, and she pulled up a photo of me in lingerie and said, ‘Oh, don’t worry, you’re not that fat.’”
The woman’s comment, according to Kope, highlights the flawed beauty standards prevalent in the United States, particularly regarding women.
@kate_kope There’s nothing quite like getting humbled on your early morning @delta flight 🥲🫠 #curvemodel #plussize #plussizemodel #delta #travelstory
“Yes, thank you. Thank you. Yes, I know I’m not ‘that fat,’” she stated in the video. “That’s the essence of the issue within the industry right now, especially in the USA.”
In an interview with People published on June 22, the model expressed that she wasn’t surprised by the encounter or the woman’s remarks.
“I’m accustomed to people not quite understanding what to say when I tell them I am a curve model,” Kope shared with the outlet. “In person, I’m not what one might typically consider ‘curvy’ or ‘plus-size,’ so awkward reactions often arise. I think people want to comfort me, as if I’ve allowed the fashion industry to convince me otherwise by labeling me a ‘curve’ model. Thus, I don’t take their inappropriate comments to heart.”
Kope identifies as a “true 10” in size but can fluctuate between sizes 8 and 14 any given day.
She elaborated, “For many, fat equals bad while skinny equals good, so these interactions reflect societal perceptions of thinness and women’s bodies. Little do they know, I’ve undergone the mental work and no longer see thinness as my life’s aim.”
Regarding the woman who made the comment, Kope believes the stranger was not intending to be rude or unkind.
“We actually had a fascinating conversation about various topics,” she added. “Perhaps I should have been more judgmental, but I honestly let it slide. I get more annoyed by younger individuals making these comments because I expect millennials and Gen Z to be more conscious.”
