“I’m not the girl I used to be”

Kendra Wilkinson is responding to harsh comments she recently received about her body on social media.

On January 12, the mother of two wrote a lengthy response on Instagram to critics who left derogatory messages under her posts.

“Yes, I gained weight. Yes, I’m getting older. Yes, I’m not the girl I was before (playboy girl),” the former reality TV star wrote, adding a crying and laughing emoji.

She continued: “But for once in a long time, I feel good and mentally healthy.”

Wilkinson said she is currently focused on raising her two children — Hank Randall Baskett IV, 15, and Alijah Mary Baskett, 10 — whom she shares with ex-husband Hank Baskett, and creating of a balanced life.

The real estate agent and author, who has taken a step back from the spotlight, shared that his days now consist of working out, cooking, golfing, working and taking care of his house, without a nanny .

She added: “For those of you who hate my new weight, my 40-year-old face, please know that I am finally happy, healthy and at peace in life. Leave me alone and respect that I’m where I really want to be finally all together.

Wilkinson will celebrate his 40th birthday later this year in June.

At the end of her caption, she directly addressed those who have expressed concerns about her drinking habits in recent posts.

“I hear you and this will be better monitored. Drinking too much is definitely drinking too much,” she wrote before joking, “but you know what’s coming in JUNE…. Gunshots. I love you.

Alongside her post, she shared a photo of herself posing in front of a mirror and a short clip of her showing off her new physique.

Famous friends and fans offered their support for Wilkinson in the comments.

Podcaster Bunnie Remember this hug.

Comedian and actress Heather McDonald praised Wilkinson for being a “beautiful, caring and intelligent mom.”

One fan simply said: “Don’t be so hard on yourself. You are beautiful.

Wilkinson has previously spoken about the lifestyle changes she’s made to benefit her mental health after struggling in the past.

Last year, she told People that in 2023, she was taken to the hospital and placed on the antipsychotic medication Abilify. She also attended outpatient therapy three times a week.

“I was dying of depression,” she revealed. “I was at the end of my life and I entered psychosis. I felt like I was no longer strong enough to live.

She said it was the lowest point of her life and she felt hopeless. Wilkinson realized she needed help and encouraged others to face their problems as well.

“Anxiety and depression are real and it’s important to seek help whenever you feel like the world is giving in to you. I thought I was strong enough. I thought I was strong enough to travel the world. My name is Kendra. My name is Kendra Wilkinson. I got this. I can travel this world. I can walk hard. I don’t need therapy. I don’t need treatment. And I was wrong,” she said.

One day, she decided she couldn’t overcome her mental health issues alone and contacted her ex-husband to ask him to drive her to the hospital.

“Accepting help that day and having Hank drive me to the hospital was a huge day in both of our lives,” she recalled. “It was a big day for my family and my children. I didn’t realize how much pain I was in or what people saw of me until I arrived. I had to really look in the mirror and say, “I need help. »

She spent two months undergoing treatment and prioritizing her mental health.

“Depression is something that doesn’t just go away. It’s a practice. It’s something that stays with you, I think, throughout life,” she noted. “So you just have to learn to work with it. You have to learn to accept it. And it’s part of me. It will be part of me and that’s okay.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com