Christina Aguilera Opens Up About Body Image, Mental Health, and Motherhood

Christina Aguilera’s latest cover story has the world talking. In a candid interview with Glamour, the 43-year-old pop music icon reflected on her self-esteem and body image in the early 2000s, the intense mental pressure she faced early in her career, and the emotional highs and lows of motherhood. Ahead, we’re sharing the key takeaways from her heartfelt conversation to kick off your Friday.

On self-esteem and body image…

Aguilera shared that in the early 2000s, her self-esteem was heavily influenced by “how skinny” she was, largely due to the media’s relentless focus on her body. “When you’re a teenager, you have a very different body than when you’re in your 20s,” she said. “I started to fill out, and then that was unacceptable because it was like, ‘Oh, she’s getting thicker.’ Then I had industry people: ‘They liked your body and how you were as a skinny teenager.’”

But over the years, Aguilera has embraced a completely new mindset. “I have a maturity now where I just don’t give a f–k about your opinion. I’m not going to take it on,” she admitted. “It must be your responsibility to take up your space. Other people’s opinions of me are not my business.” Amen.

On prioritizing her mental health…

“Literally every second [of my life then] was accounted for in a schedule,”Aguilera reflected on the early days of her career. “You can’t just live your life for work where it’s unenjoyable. You get burnt out.” Realizing she needed a change, Aguilera found a new team—people who, as Glamour describes, “weren’t afraid to say, ‘She needs a beat. She needs a minute to really work on her thing creatively.’” The result? A much-needed breather and the creation of her second pop album.

On motherhood…

In the interview, Aguilera opens up about the emotional challenges of raising her daughter, Summer, 10, and son, Max, 16. “I love my son and my daughter so much, and you do want to shield and protect them from the world,” she shared through tears. “But they have to learn their own lessons.”

Watching her children grow up is proving to be difficult for her. “I’ll never see that person again,” she said, reflecting on their younger years. “They’re going to make their own choices and mistakes that define how they want to be. It’s such a layered, interesting thing to be a parent and watch these people, these humans, grow up.”