NEWSShania Twain Developed Body Insecurities After Being 'Touched Inappropriately So Many Times' Throughout Her Youth: 'I Hated Being a Girl'
It took some time for Shania Twain to realize she 'liked' being a woman.
Though Shania Twain's hit tune 'Man, I Feel Like a Woman!' has become an anthem for ladies across the globe, the singer admitted she struggled with confidence, femininity and body image in the earlier years of her life.
In a candid new interview, the star revealed she was "always insecure" about her figure due to her experiences growing up.
Shania Twain developed body insecurities after she was 'touched inappropriately' during her youth.
"As a female, throughout my youth [I was] touched inappropriately so many times [and] I was in abusive situations where you hate being a woman. I hated being a girl," she confessed.
"My mother goes, 'What do you want to be when you grow up?' and I said, 'A bodybuilder.' I wanted to be a big, strong man that nobody was going to f— around with. No one was going to touch my arm or my a-- or anything unless I was OK with it," Twain spilled. "I was hiding all through my teens. I hated having b----, I hated having hips."
The singer admitted she 'hated being a girl' and would hide her body while growing up.
The Canadian added that since many models at the time were "very, very thin," she saw that body type as "a sign of elegance and feminine beauty."
Fortunately, as Twain's stardom grew, so did her confidence.
"Once I got behind the camera and started looking at clothes and fashion, I was like, 'Wow, I’m actually a woman after all, and I think I might like it,'" the vocalist recalled. "When I wrote 'Man, I Feel Like a Woman!,' it was an absolute celebration [of that]. And I felt empowered behind the camera. I was like, 'They can’t grab me. I’m safe.'"
When asked to give advice to other women that are having difficulties embracing themselves, the "You're Still the One" artist — who will turn 60 in August — noted it's "dangerous" to compare yourself to others.
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Twain told women it's 'dangerous' to compare yourself to others.
"For me, walking on the beach in a bathing suit is like, 'What was I waiting for?' Of course I don’t have the body I imagined — because my image of the perfect body is a supermodel with no cellulite, perfect proportions and a beautiful stride. This is just not me," she said. "You can wish a lot of time away ignoring what you actually look like. Just get real with yourself."
The star said she's 'reached so many mental liberations' over the years.
After changing up her looks a few times — most recently, she's been rocking light pink hair — Twain is as happy as ever in all aspects of life.
"I’m really grateful that I’ve reached so many mental liberations," she gushed. "I feel good."
"I really don’t have anything left to prove. Even thinking about age, I don’t feel like I need to prove to anyone that I look younger than I am," she raved. "I’d rather focus more on the things that I can change or contribute to — I can create magic through music, and I have a lot I want to achieve and have fun with, whether it’s music or film. I’d like to write and produce another artist’s album. There’s just so many things."
Us Weekly spoke with Twain.
