Khloe Kardashian strips off to defend her attempt to kill 'unflattering' unfiltered viral photo

Khloe Kardashian has stripped off for an Instagram video to defend her attempt to kill an ‘unflattering’ unfiltered viral bikini photo taken by her grandma.

The 36-year-old posted videos of herself showcasing her fabulous body which she said had not been Photoshopped –  following the release of an ‘unauthorized’ photo appearing to show her un-airbrushed and not as flawless as she ordinarily looks in campaign shots.

The reality star also posted a statement about her struggles with her body image, where she described feeling ‘unbearable’ ‘pressure’ to be ‘perfect’ and discussed her lifelong struggle with her body image. 

In a slideshow posted to her account, Khloe posed topless in her bathroom mirror as she showed off her body with her hand protecting her modesty. 

A second video showed Khloe going on Instagram Live, where she removed her sweatshirt and rolled down her trousers to show off her toned frame.

Kim Kardashian appeared briefly in the video, which was commented on by their half-sister Kendall Jenner. 

‘PS Yes I did a live to show you all this isn’t photoshopped,’ Khloe captioned the slideshow.

‘Hey guys, this is me and my body unretouched and unfiltered…

‘In truth, the pressure, constant ridicule and judgment my entire life to be perfect and to meet other’s standards of how I should look has been too much to bear. “Khloe is the fat sister.” “Khloe is the ugly sister.” “Her dad must not be her real dad because she looks so different.” “The only way she could have lost that weight must have been from surgery.” Should I go on?

‘Oh but who cares how she feels because she grew up in a life of privilege. She’s also on a reality show so she signed up for all of this. I’m of course not asking for sympathy but I am asking to be acknowledged for being human.

‘I am not perfect but I promise you that I try everyday to live my life as honestly as possible and with empathy and kindness. It doesn’t mean that I have not made mistakes. But I’m not going to lie. It’s almost unbearable trying to live up to the impossible standards that the public have all set for me.

‘For over a decade now in photos, every single flaw and imperfection has been micro-analyzed and made fun of to the smallest detail and I am reminded of them everyday by the world. And when I take that criticism to use as motivation to get myself in the best shape of my life and to even help others with the same struggles, I am told I couldn’t have done it through hard work and I must have paid for it all.

‘You never quite get used to being judged and pulled apart and told how unattractive one is, but I will say, if you hear anything enough then you start believe it. This is an example of how I have been conditioned to feel, that I am not beautiful enough just being me.

‘I love a good filter, good lighting and an edit here and there. The same way I throw on some make-up, get my nails done, or wear a pair of heels to present myself to the world the way I want to be seen and it’s exactly what I will continue to do unapologetically. My body, my image and how I choose to look and what I want to share is my choice. It’s not for anyone to decide or judge what is acceptable or not anymore.

‘For those else who feel the constant pressure of not ever feeling perfect enough, I want you to know I see you and I understand. Everyday I am told by my family and friends who love me that I am beautiful but I know that it needs to be believed from within. We are all unique and perfect in our own way. Whichever way one chooses to be seen. I have realized that we cannot continue to live life trying to fit into the perfect mold of what others have set for us. Just do you and make sure your heart is happy,’ she concluded.

Khloe’s famous sisters Kim, Kendall and Kylie, as well as mother Kris Jenner took to the comment section to send support, with ‘momager’ Kris writing: ‘Khloé you are the kindest most loving, most supportive, most beautiful heart I have ever known, and I adore you and am so proud of you…. you are an inspiration to all of us and I appreciate and love you each and every single day. 

‘Thank you for teaching the rest of us to be kind and to not judge…. you are one of a kind…. what a blessing you are. You are a gift.’

The controversy all started after the original bikini photo emerged on social media over the weekend. 

The image in question shows Khloe standing by a pool wearing a skimpy leopard print string bikini and appearing unfiltered an un-airbrushed.  

Soon after it leaked on various forums online, members of the Kardashian PR team reported the posts as copyright infringement, due to the photo being posted without permission. 

In the candid image, which is still up on one subreddit, the mother-of-one appears to be mid-conversation and has her hair pulled up in a ponytail as she holds her phone and flashes a subtle smile at the photographer.

The image seems to have been snapped at Kris Jenner’s desert compound in La Quinta, California, where the Kardashian and Jenner clan just spent the Easter weekend.

While most would be proud to look so good in a bikini, it’s not hard to see that Khloe looks very different to her highly glamorized Instagram images.

In the alleged unedited snap, her waistline appears less defined, her curves less dramatic and her skin not as impossibly smooth as it looks in her carefully staged glossy fashion shoots.

Tracy Romulus, Kim Kardashian’s BFF and chief marketing officer for KKW brands, said in a statement to Page Six: ‘The color edited photo was taken of Khloé during a private family gathering and posted to social media without permission by mistake by an assistant.

‘Khloé looks beautiful but it is within the right of the copyright owner to not want an image not intended to be published taken down.’

The mistake could well cost the assistant their job, as the Kardashian team have been unable to contain the leak.  

After the photo surfaced on Saturday it spread across the internet before quickly disappearing on many sites.

It wasn’t long before reports emerged from Reddit users who were asked to take the photo down, with some allegedly receiving legal threats from the Kardashian team because of ‘copyright infringement’.

A user named ‘Calithetroll’ started a subreddit to discuss the Kardashian PR team’s attempt to remove all of the posts online. They explained that ‘after reposting the picture, the mods confirm that someone reached out to them warning them about potential legal action due to the picture.’

Some people, including subreddit moderators who attempted to share the Khloe photo, were reported for posting ‘personal and confidential’ information. 

It’s unclear how the photo originally leaked online. There is some speculation on Reddit that it was Kris Jenner’s mom MJ that posted it on her ‘finsta’ which is the term used for a ‘fake Instagram’ created by users to share more candid snaps with only with their closest friends and family.

However, screenshots of a Instagram conversation show Romulus contacting one poster and claiming the image of Khloe was ‘stolen and doctored and originated from a fake IG account.’ 

Despite the Kardashian clan scrabbling to take down the photo, much of the Reddit commentary about it was positive. 

‘Are you kidding? There is one pic of her looking actually natural and gorgeous with some flaws and she wants it gone from the internet?!’ one person wrote. 

‘I am loving this hot tea. Kinda sad though. Khloe looks so stunning in it.’ another added to the discussion.

‘Is this the photo they’re talking about or a different one? Because this pic looks good?’ another user chimed in.

Khloe has come under fire in recent years for her changing face and body, with many accusing the KUWTK star of brazenly photoshopping her Instagram posts to an extent fans sometimes struggle to recognize her.  

Following a slew of questions from fans, cosmetic and injectables specialist Claire McGuinness weighed in on the discussion, offering her opinion on what changes Khloé may have made.

She speculated that the mother-of-one had changed her appearance so dramatically thanks to a combination of ‘surgery, injectables, weight loss… and filters, makeup and lighting’. 

However, sources insisted that Khloe is not concerned with the backlash over her changing looks. 

An insider told UsWeekly back in May: ‘Khloe doesn’t care about the backlash she’s been getting from fans saying she doesn’t look like herself in her recent photos.’

‘She thinks she looks great,’ the insider adds. ‘And actually [she] does not care what people think as long as she’s happy.’ 

She’s certainly having a sense of humor about it at least, after clapping back to fans who have questioned her new look.

After being asked by a fan ‘Why do you look so different in all your photos?’, Khloe hit back: ‘My weekly face transplant clearly.’ 

Khloe’s changing appearance has undoubtedly been controversial in recent months, but she has denied going under the knife to achieve her new look. 

In 2016, Khloé admitted to having fillers to change her facial shape, and in the same year she was made the face of Kybella and its Live Chin Up campaign. 

Kybella is an increasingly popular new treatment that targets double chins. The FDA-approved injectable, available at Cosmetique Aesthetics in LA, contours and improves fatty areas. 

She has admitted to getting Botox and fillers in the past but said she had them dissolved after feeling like she looked ‘crazy.’ 

To this day, Khloé maintains she has never had a rhinoplasty, and says her nose looks slimmer because of contouring. 

In 2013, she told Cosmopolitan magazine that she had never had cosmetic surgery but did not rule it out for the future.

‘I’m proud for losing weight when I wanted to and I’ve never resorted to surgery,’ she said. ‘I’m not against it – one day I probably will but it would be on my terms. I won’t be bullied into it by social media or anyone else.’ 

Back in September, the star told People that she thrives on changing her appearance.

‘I never like to stick with one look for too long. Short hair, major glam, bright lips – you name a look, I’ve tried it.

‘You get to be a different character every single day and experiment. To me, beauty should be anything but boring. It’s a form of self-expression. There’s really no right or wrong, it’s more about how it makes you feel.’ 

She also spoke about her decision to go back to brunette after a stint as a blonde and she is having ‘a lot of fun’ with her new look.

She shared: ‘I’m having a lot of fun as a “new” brunette. I love to change things up whenever I’m getting too comfortable with a look. It’s whatever makes you feel more playful and daring.’ 

However, in February the E! star got real about her stretch marks as she shared a beach snap of her hips covered in fine lines declaring ‘I love my stripes’.