‘The Old Kim Was That Girl’: Fans Defend Lil’ Kim After Critics Take Note During Recent Performance of How Plastic Surgery Destroyed Her ‘Natural’ Beauty
Fans are not allowing critics to overshadow Lil’ Kim’s status as a hip-hop icon with ongoing social banter about her surgically altered appearance. The conversation surrounding her nip-tucked face and figure was renewed after her recent halftime performance during Game 3 of the WNBA Finals in Brooklyn, New York.
The Oct. 15 show at the Barclays Center was a spectacle for fans as the “Crush on You” rapper performed some of her memorable hits. However, the conversation took a turn when social media users began to criticize her looks.
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In the past, everything from Lil Kim’s lighter complexion to her changing physical features has been picked apart by the public.
“I’m still mind blown how much she changes her appearance, she used to be stunning,” wrote one person.
Another comment read, “My girl can’t even catch her breath tryna hold that big a—. The old Kim was that girl idk why she did all this she was so naturally pretty.”
Lil Kim wore a pair of black leggings, a cropped top and jacket, and silver knee-high boots as she worked the arena floor with her dancers.
Her outfit and gyrating moves gave everyone an eyeful of her derrière. A third wrote, “I’m sorry but this is not the lil Kim I know so sad what surgery could do.”
lil kim transformation sad af, she used to be so beautiful pic.twitter.com/0ey7X32R6N
— cobe (@florencelaflare) May 2, 2016
However, fans came running to her defense, hitting back at the detractors. One person declared the “Magic Stick” rapper was a “LEGEND no matter what yall say she is a QUEEN.”
“They quick to drag Kim’s appearance but refuse to give Her the flowers She deserves. This woman is AN ICON, respect that,” wrote another supporter.
A third comment read, “If yal knew what she been through and experienced yal thinking would be different of her!!!! I’m happy she’s happy!!! She deserves that!!!”
In a resurfaced decades-old interview, Lil’ Kim explained that she first went under the knife after being beaten by her boyfriend.
“I came out of the hospital from getting my nose done and he broke my s—t again. I have had to have MRIs because he beat me up so bad I couldn’t even move…The doctor had to fix my nose [because] it was almost shattered,” she claimed. She has also been vocal about suffering from low self-esteem.
In September, when she appeared on the cover of Ebony magazine’s “Fall 2023 Hip-Hop 50,” she was scrutinized for the heavily retouched image. Like her fans, she also took issue with her appearance.
“Who is this?! Cuz that’s not the photo I approved or any other content they’ve put out…It’s the sabotage for me. The funny s–t about this, is that this is THEIR retoucher!” she claimed on Instagram.
The creative director of the shoot countered her claims, instead placing the onus on her. In the end, Ebony issued a statement saying that they stood by their cover and felt Lil’ Kim looked beautiful.