Iskra Lawrence on ‘Taking Power Away’ From Body Shamers Amid Pregnancy

Amid her busy modeling career, expanding family and growing beauty business, Iskra Lawrence somehow finds time to respond to trolls who criticize her body. Why is that, you ask? 

“I’m taking power away from them with my response. It diminishes the weight of what they say,” Lawrence, 33, exclusively told Us Weekly a couple of weeks after she spoke out for being shamed for her pregnant figure on the runway during Miami Swim Week. 

Lawrence, who is expecting her second baby with partner Philip Payne, strutted her stuff on the Cupshe runway on June 2. Shortly after taking the catwalk, Lawrence was met with negative comments regarding her figure. She shared screen grabs of the harsh words via Instagram on June 5, slamming the haters for being “obsessed” and having “nothing more important to do.”

Lawrence told that Us she will continue to call out negativity because it “helps other people.” 

“What other people experience may not be on the same scale as me, right? But if someone can see that even Iskra is dealing with this — then they know they’re not alone,” Lawrence explained. “It takes one comment about your weight or weight you’ve gained during pregnancy to change the way you view yourself, and if you don’t feel you know how to handle it, it can really just wear you down. I wanted to share the messages alongside the photos of me to turn something negative into a positive and show that those words don’t have the final say over my life.” 

She continued, “I wanted to show that the negativity does not compare to the overwhelming amount of support. I knew that my community would rally behind me and want to uplift. I’ve gotten tons of DMs from women saying, ‘I was worried about wearing that bikini on the beach, and now I literally want to wear it and be like f–k you to the trolls.’ It really did empower people.” 

It’s taken Lawrence some time to get to where she is in her confidence journey — and though she puts on a brave face via social media for her fans, she still works hard at boosting herself up every day. 

“I’ve done a lot of work since recovering from having an eating disorder and body image dysmorphia as a teen. I felt I really got a good set of tools that helped me get through those times and get me to to a point where I know that I am the only one that has the power to define how I feel,” Lawrence told Us, adding that she protects her headspace through “affirmations” and “surrounding myself with people who only uplift me.” 

Lawrence is especially focused on prioritizing her wellbeing amid her pregnancy. (Lawrence and Payne also share 4-year-old son Alpha.) 

“My baby girl is growing inside of me. I’ve got to nurture myself to nurture her. I have to create a boundary where I get eight hours of sleep, I’m always hydrating and feeding my body the right things,” Lawrence told Us. “I am mindful of the way I speak to myself. I want a better world for her. She’s going to be mixed race, so I want her to love herself completely and wholly and never ask questions about her appearance and I can do this by being good to myself first.” 

Having a consistent and easy beauty routine is also crucial to Lawrence when it comes to maintaining confidence. She explained that during her first pregnancy she was “not looking after herself” in the way she would have liked and has learned a lot since then. 

“I realized the importance of having beauty products and the way smelling good has a huge impact on your mood,” Lawrence told Us. This discovery heavily influenced the launch of her body care brand, Saltair, which offers body washes, scrubs and oils. 

“It was those quick five minutes in the shower — when I didn’t have time for anything else — that allowed me to escape to favorite moments when my toes are in the sand and I’m breathing in that salty air. I was like, that is what I need to find amid the chaos of my house with a new baby, and so Saltair was born,” she continued. “Now, I get up, shower with my Saltair, get out and use my lotions, my hair oils and I’m on my way.” 

She added, “I am so happy that I could give this experience to people with my brand. It’s really reflective of me, my journey and my desire to always uplift people when I can. Pouring into yourself whether it’s with kind words or with products goes a long way.”