Emily in Paris fans need to stop commenting on Lily Collins’ body

The first half of Emily in Paris Season 4 is now on Netflix, and it’s only taken hours for the wrong fan discourse to emerge. Frankly, we need to step back and shut it down.

There are plenty of things to be annoyed by in Emily in Paris Season 4 (or just Netflix’s stash of trashy romantic dramas on the whole). Not only are the storylines often predictable, but they can also be incredibly cliche while making absolutely zero sense. 

New episodes drop and pick up character arcs whenever they feel like it, get bogged down in the same old stuff (Emily is still stuck between Alfie and Gabriel), and generally just aren’t very inspiring. However, it’s none of these legitimate irks that have frustrated fans – it’s how Lily Collins looks. 

Collins, much like Emily, is known for being on the slim side. She’s got an impeccable model stature, which has probably made her shoo-in for wearing some of the finest French costuming on Netflix. The star has also been publicly open about previously having both anorexia and bulimia.

When she was approached to star in the 2017 movie To The Bone – also about anorexia – Collins was cautious to sign on. At the time, she told Newsbeat the story could “’trigger memories of a very dark time in my life.”

“Having struggled with anorexia and bulimia well into my 20s, I know first-hand the struggle, isolation, and shame a person feels when they are in the grips of this illness,” she added. 

While she was “excited to tell her story” and found it “freeing” (via Harpers Bazaar), they’re circumstances left in her past – but Emily in Paris fans are dragging it into her present. The most liked threads on the new TV show’s subreddit after the Season 4 launch were nothing to do with its contents, but concern for Collins’ appearance.

One Redditor posted, “I am really worried about Lily Collins after watching this season. She was always very thin, but she looked so unhealthy and ill this season. I really hope she gets the help with her eating disorder that she needs!” A second added, “This season is wayyy too triggering,” with a third weighing in, “I can’t watch it anymore. It’s too uncomfortable.”

It shouldn’t really have to be pointed out, but here we are – Collins’ body is not up for discussion. Pouring your entire being into a project for months on end (even if it isn’t Shakespearean levels of demanding) only to find your looks are all anyone cares about is as demeaning as it is misogynistic.

As our second Redditor also points out, wanton speculation like this could also cause major harm to Collins’ mental health. We know that past projects have raised triggering concerns before, but this is something not under her control. How can you move forward when people are holding you back?

As outsiders looking in, we have absolutely no idea what the truth looks like, and we don’t deserve an explanation. Instead, Emily in Paris fans should be grateful to experience the binge-worthy TV show they love all over again, instead of being keyboard warriors under the guise of concern. 

Here’s our plea to you – stop the body comments as soon as possible, even if they are made with the best intentions. Nobody wins if they exist. 

The first half of Emily in Paris Season 4 is streaming now. Check out its ending explained, soundtrack, and how it botched the Eurovision Song Contest.

For more Netflix updates, check out Virgin River Season 6, Stranger Things Season 5, and Heartstopper Season 3.