Jenna Ortega's recent interview with Esquire has triggered widespread online speculation about her weight and health, prompting her sister Aliyah Ortega to defend her. The 23-year-old actress, known for her role in Netflix's Wednesday, appeared noticeably thinner in the interview, leading fans to express concern and draw comparisons to Ariana Grande, who faced similar scrutiny.
Aliyah Ortega responded to an Instagram post that urged followers to "mind their own business and leave @jennaortega alone," commenting with three exclamation marks. The post criticized "assumptions about health" based on appearance and emphasized that Ortega has the right to make decisions without judgment. Neither Jenna Ortega nor her representatives have publicly commented on the controversy.
In the Esquire interview, Ortega discussed her early career, revealing that as a child actress she would go entire days without eating or drinking to avoid being a burden on set. "I didn't even ask for a sip of water. I could go the whole day without eating, drinking, anything, because I didn't want to be in anyone's way," she said. She later reflected, "Maybe that was my mistake: not really taking care of myself." These comments fueled speculation about a possible eating disorder, though no evidence supports such claims.
The debate extends beyond Ortega, highlighting a perceived return of extreme thinness as a Hollywood ideal, partly linked to the rise of GLP-1 weight-loss drugs like Ozempic. Scarlett Johansson has previously noted the pressure to be thin in Hollywood, saying, "Everyone in Hollywood is so thin that you constantly feel like you're not thin enough." While some sources emphasize that appearance alone cannot determine health, others question the responsibility of celebrities in perpetuating these ideals.
