Lizzo has made it clear she has no time for online critics who have been commenting on her recent weight gain, telling them to “stay triggered” as she celebrates her body on her own terms.

The Grammy-winning singer, whose real name is Melissa Jefferson, appears on the digital cover of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue wearing pieces from her size-inclusive shapewear brand, Yitty. In the accompanying interview, she addressed the speculation head-on, confirming that she had deliberately put on around 20 pounds (nine kilograms) this year, following a weight-loss journey in 2025.

“I wanted to get thicker. I wanted to get juicier and thicker, and I did,” Lizzo told the outlet. “Now on the internet, I’ve seen people being like, ‘She’s gaining it back,’ and trying to clown me for that. Little do they know it was intentional.”

The 38-year-old said the backlash only reinforces a larger truth she has long understood: that public scrutiny of women’s bodies is relentless, regardless of size.

“But I think that just shows you that people are always going to criticise your body. It doesn’t matter how much weight you lose,” she observed.

Lizzo reflected on how she has been targeted from all sides throughout her career. “I was still getting fat jokes on the internet. I was simultaneously getting accused of not being body positive because I lost weight,” the About Damn Time singer recalled. “It’s just, like, don’t try to please everybody. Just please yourself. It’s your body. You deserve to enjoy your life in it.”

The cover shoot itself, she acknowledged, may provoke some reactions – and she is perfectly fine with that.

“Seeing this cover of me all sexy and fat and fabulous in my Yitty Swim may trigger some people,” Lizzo said. “But, you know, stay triggered.”

Beyond the conversation about her physique, Lizzo spoke about what the Sports Illustrated opportunity meant to her on a deeper level.

“I think, now, my newest fantasy is about feeling good in my body and enjoying my life. Enjoying my life in my body and in my mind,” she said. “I do a lot of spiritual work. A lot of prayer. A lot of meditation. And a lot of just listening to tones and frequencies in order to just relax.”

The Good as Hell star released her fifth studio album, B**ch, last month. She is also currently at work on the script for an upcoming biopic about pioneering guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe, in which she is set to portray the music legend.