I first saw it in on Facebook, under the "trending" category. Typically this category ranges from insignificant celebrity nonsense to actual horrid things happening in our world, usually a combination of both. But that day it was different. The headline read "Wentworth Miller responds to fat shaming meme." I immediately clicked on it, thinking it would be another article about another women getting shamed for their size, aka every day in America. To my surprise, I saw a man who I recognized from being on a former (and recently renewed) show, "Prison Break." (Also, he currently kicks ass on the CW show's "The Flash" and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," but that was just an obvious fact.)

The comparison photos used in the meme consisted of a photo from 2005, 11 years ago when he played Michael Scofield on "Prison Break." In this photo he was plastered in tattoos and it looked like a promotional photo for the show, meaning it was also likely photoshopped and not an accurate portrayal of his physical appearance, even in 2005. The second photo was taken five years later and from an unflattering angle where he was wearing a baggy shirt and wasn't posing for the camera. The caption read "When you break out of prison and find out about McDonald's Monopoly," obviously a joke about his weight. The meme while insensitive and cruel, wasn't the worst part,the fact that this man had personally seen this meme of himself was what shook me. On his official Facebook page, he responded to the post in a truthful and heartbreaking way.

He writes about seeing the post, and where he was in his life when the second photo was taken, the photo in which mocked his weight gain. Miller bared all as he talked about how he was suicidal and depressed at this point in his life, over eating to mask the pain. He said that he felt that he was on a path to self destruction, and felt as if he was damaged goods. The photos reminded him of the dark point in his life, and while he is not cured of depression, it reminded him of how he persisted. Specifically,he stated "Now, when I see that image of me in my red T-shirt, a rare smile on my face, I am reminded of my struggle. My endurance and my perseverance in the face of all kinds of demons. Some within. Some without."

The website responsible for the creation of the meme apologized immediately after Miller's posting, realizing how cruel it was to post it. My concern, and the main point of this article, is to question why mocking people's bodies counts as "news." There are so many more important things to talk about in the world other than someone who you do not even know gaining a couple pounds,as if it is any of your business to begin with. As I mentioned previously, we can see the body shaming of women everywhere in the media, magazine covers plastered with photos taken of women in their bathing suits and then ranked, amongst other levels of pathetic behavior. I felt it was important to speak up about Wentworth Miller because as man getting shamed for his weight, I think it is important to talk about. I will stand against people body shaming women and I will do the same for men, no matter the sex of the person, no one deserves to be mocked for their size or lack thereof. I will always stand by that, because to me, it will always be wrong to judge someone based on any type of their physical appearance.

At the end of the day, beauty from the inside shines through more than any aspect of physical appearance. Wentworth Miller demonstrated his beautiful heart when he bared all by talking about his own personal demons. He could have easily trash talked the magazine as they had done to him, but he instead used this opportunity to bring attention to the stigma that accompanies mental illness. He even took the time to leave resources for those struggling at the end of the post,verifying the quality of person he is.

While I do not know Wentworth Miller personally,I feel like I do,based on what he was been through. For many years,I found myself finding solace in food due to depression plaguing me. Because I am not in the public eye,I do not receive the nation wide scrutiny that Miller or many other male and female celebrities face on a day to day basis,so I must praise them for their strength.

The next time you're scrolling through Facebook and see a post about someone mocking a celebrity for a weight gain or new hairstyle,scroll right past. At the end of the day, none of that is important or concerns you,so why even spend time invested in it? Also,think about the things you say behind a keyboard,you never know if the person you are targeting will see what you have said about them as what happened with Wentworth Miller. The importance at the end of all of is this is to remember to be kind,speak up for people, and most importantly do not judge people on their physical appearances, it is a lame way to live. You never know what someone else is going through,so always consider your words in every circumstance. More importantly, someone else's physical attributes are none of your business

Thank you Wentworth Miller for your honesty and strength, demonstrating what it means to be a truly good person of both character and heart. Thank you for using your time of pain as a way of advocating for people going through similar circumstances and reminding them that they are not alone. As you said in your post, "Like a dandelion up through the pavement, I persist." We are glad you persisted. You are so important and the world is better because you are in it.