Amy Schumer “owes no explanation” for her appearance.
The writer and comedian, who has been doing press ahead of the Season 2 premiere of her Hulu comedy, “Life & Beth,” took to social media Thursday to address recent comments about her face and used the opportunity to give more visibility to endometriosis, a condition in which tissue that resembles cells found in the lining of a uterus grows outside of the organ.
“Thank you so much for everyone’s input about my face! I’ve enjoyed feedback and deliberation about my appearance as all women do for almost 20 years. And you’re right it is puffier than normal right now,” Schumer wrote in the caption of her Instagram post, which included the promotional art for “Life & Beth,” which co-stars Michael Cera.
She explained that she has endometriosis – a diagnosis the actor has been open about previously – and that “there are some medical and hormonal things going on in my world right now but I’m okay.”
Schumer went on to call out the lack of funding for research on health issues affecting “women’s bodies,” compared to men. The cause for endometriosis is still unknown, and there is no cure. It also often impacts fertility.
“I also believe a woman doesn’t need any excuse for her physical appearance and owes no explanation. But I wanted to take the opportunity to advocate for self love and acceptance of the skin you’re in,” she added. “I feel strong and beautiful and so proud of this tv show (‘Life & Beth’) I created. Wrote. Starred in and directed. Maybe just maybe we can focus on that for a little.”
Amy Schumer had her uterus removed during surgery for endometriosis: ‘It’s going to change my life’
In September 2021, more than two years after she gave birth to her and Chris Fischer’s son, Gene, Schumer underwent surgery to address her endometriosis symptoms. She shared on Instagram that both her uterus and appendix were removed during the procedure due to the aggressive nature of her case.
“The doctor found 30 spots of endometriosis that he removed. He removed my appendix because the endometriosis had attacked it.” She added, “There was a lot, a lot of blood in my uterus, and I’m, you know, sore and I have some, like, gas pains.”
In a follow-up video posted the next day, Schumer added that she wants to “raise awareness” about endometriosis, saying the condition is “really painful and debilitating, and you don’t have to live with it.”
“I’m feeling really hopeful, and I’m really glad that I did it, and I think it’s going to change my life,” she said of her procedure.
‘Therapeutic benefits’: Amy Schumer on writing about childhood trauma
Bindi Irwin, Gabrielle Union among celebrities who’ve opened up about endometriosis
Schumer isn’t the only one who has been vocal about how endometriosis has affected her life and fertility. Actor Gabrielle Union-Wade, “Star Wars” franchise star Daisy Ridley, dancer Julianne Hough and writer/actor Lena Dunham are among those in Hollywood who have advocated for more awareness of the medical condition.
An approximated 10% of people with uteruses worldwide who are of reproductive age live with endometriosis, according to the World Health Organization.
Dunham revealed in a 2018 Vogue essay that she had undergone a hysterectomy to remove her cervix and uterus at 31 years old after living with pain that had become “unbearable,” which doctors could not find a reason for.
During the procedure, she wrote, doctors found that “In addition to endometrial disease, an odd humplike protrusion, and a septum running down the middle, I have had retrograde bleeding, a.k.a. my period running in reverse, so that my stomach is full of blood. My ovary has settled in on the muscles around the sacral nerves in my back that allow us to walk. Let’s please not even talk about my uterine lining,” she wrote.
She added, “Because I had to work so hard to have my pain acknowledged, there was no time to feel fear or grief. To say goodbye. I made a choice that never was a choice for me, yet mourning feels like a luxury I don’t have.”
Contributing: Jenna Ryu, USA TODAY
Carol Dennis is an entertainment aficionado with an eye for all things pop culture. She dives into the glitz and glamour of the entertainment industry, from movie premieres to music festivals. Carol’s passion for storytelling extends beyond her reporting, as she’s an aspiring screenwriter in her free time.
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