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Jessie James Decker Defends Her Kids’ Abs Photo Amid Claims She’s ‘Overtraining’ Them
Not backing down. Jessie James Decker issued a strongly worded statement to social media users who claimed she was “overtraining” her children, Vivianne, Eric Jr. and Forrest, after a photo of them flexing their abs on the beach went viral.
“I didn’t plan on addressing this because it’s bonkers, but the photos are out there and every single news outlet has posted about this,” the “I Still Love You” singer, 34, began an Instagram post on Monday, November 28, noting that when she posted pictures of her family’s Thanksgiving vacation, she had “no clue it would get the reaction it did.”
She continued, “But being accused of photoshopping abs on my kids (I can’t help but laugh) or … the polar opposite, ‘overtraining’ our kids, makes me realize how bizarre our world has gotten regarding the body and what’s normal and what’s not. We preach about body positivity and acceptance, but my kids having a mass amount of genetic and built muscle [sic] from athletics is ‘weird?’”
Jessie went on to write that she wants to raise her kids to “feel proud of their bodies and hard work” they put in during their extracurricular activities. “From Vivi’s elite competitive gymnastics to Eric Jr. wanting to be like dad as an NFL receiver to little Forrest who spends hours dancing his heart out. Let’s not pick and choose what we normalize regarding bodies and be accepting of all people and children,” she added. “If we wanna do ‘better,’ then do better. I’m proud of my children and encourage them to live their dreams. So we’ll see y’all at the 2032 Olympics, wearing Bubby’s jersey in the stands and dancing at Forrest’s rock concert.”
Fans, friends and fellow celebs flocked to the comments section to show their support for the country singer, with ex-NFL star Lonnie Paxton writing, “You guys are doing great! Keep it up. Save some of those Olympic spots and backstage passes for our crew though!” Bachelor in Paradise star Victoria Fuller echoed similar sentiments in her comments, writing, “Athletes. Most beautiful family [red heart].”
Jessie first clapped back at people accusing her of Photoshopping her kids’ bodies on Saturday, November 26. After a separate critic labeled the youngsters’ bodies as “strange,” the “Should Have Known Better” crooner responded, “From one mother to another. Please don’t call my children’s appearance strange just because they don’t look the way you think they should? It’s unkind.”
Jessie and husband Eric Decker welcomed Vivianne, 8, in March 2014. The couple then welcomed son Eric, 7, in September 2015 before rounding out their brood with son Forrest, 4, in March 2018.
