Kiely Williams is not buying into the long-held belief of “Black Don’t Crack.” The former Cheetah Girl and 3LW member told her over 200k followers on Instagram that she “resents” all the people that fed her that notion. The former teen sensation also shared that she had been struggling with her weight, and she hated the pressures that the entertainment industry placed on young girls to conform to societal beauty standards.
On April 27, the 36-year-old singer shared that she felt like her Black “cracked like Pookie from New Jack City.”
“I resent all the people who said ‘Black don’t crack’ okay growing up and lead to me believe that because I was Black, that I wouldn’t crack,” Kiely hilariously said. “But you know what? I did. Okay, I cracked. Mmmkay? I cracked like a fucking fault line. I cracked like Pookie from New Jack City.”
The 3LW member and Disney darling also expressed the struggles of aging, especially when growing up in the spotlight and the pressure to maintain a specific image.
Kiely revealed how she had “been told to lose 10 to 15 pounds” since her teenage years. She shared photos of various stages of her life where she was told to slim down, noting her “belly fat” in one bikini picture and how she was yelled at for having it. The former Cheetah Girl claimed that she was unbothered by comments about her body after being scrutinized for years.
“If you think that, like anything you say to me about my weight, is going to have any lasting effect on me, it’s not. It’s really not.”
The mother of two also pleaded in her caption, “Let’s stop forcing teenage girls to obsess over weight lest they end up like me.”
In a subsequent video, the 36-year-old reality star stated she was speaking on behalf of “every single group member I have ever had” during her teenage and young adult years, that ” we were held to impossible, almost dare I say abusive, beauty standards when we were very young.”
The “Spectacular” singer emphasized how seriously the situation impacted her and her fellow bandmates despite their issues.
“And I don’t even think that the 3 of 8 group members that I’ve had that don’t f–k with me would argue with that fact. We were constantly criticized for our appearance, our weight, our style.”
Fortunately, Williams is showing signs of working through that traumatic history:
“So for me, What that has done has put a premium on my mind, and my heart, and my mental health. And less of a premium, even maybe a rejection towards beauty standards…When I look in the mirror, I see my children; I see my joy. I see my unhealed child trauma. It’s there still. I’m working through it. ”
However, despite the strides towards self-care, Williams exposed how she still has to deal with men sneak-dissing her in her comments, telling her, “You’re fat–but I’d still hit.”
She sarcastically thanked them for the somewhat “confidence booster.” Still, she clapped back that she could do without being “surprised by penises,” referencing unsolicited dick pics from men in her DMs. She swiftly reminded them about her “long vagina.”
Kiely, Adrienne Bailon and Naturi Naughton were members of 3LW. The trip had hits like “Playas Gon Play” and “No More.”
Adrienne and Kiely then scored roles as The Cheetah Girls. The Disney-owned group became a hit musical act and film series– with three movies and successful tours, albeit the latter without the lead singer– Raven-Symoné.
Her feuds with her former bandmates made headlines in recent years, most significantly with her 3LW members and a tense Instagram live chat with Symoné.
While her former bandmates have gone on to other pursuits in the industry, Kiely Williams’ career has slowed down. However, given her Disney Channel past, she remains an occasional social media spectacle with her spicy revelations.
