Kim Kardashian’s trainer, Don-A-Matrix, has addressed some of the backlash that the reality star received after claiming she lost 16 pounds to fit into her Met Gala gown.
On Monday evening, Kardashian arrived at the Met Gala in a beige floor-length gown previously worn by Marilyn Monore in 1962 when she sang to President John F Kennedy on his 45th birthday. While speaking to Vogue on the red carpet, she claimed that she lost 16 pounds in three weeks, and didn’t eat any “carbs or sugar,” in order to fit into the 60-year-old gown.
Since the event, the 41-year-old model has faced criticism over her comments, with many condemning the Skims founder for the restrictive diet, which also saw her wear a sauna suit. Lili Reinhart was among those criticising Kardashian, with the Riverdale star expressing her disapproval on Instagram, where she called the reality star’s diet “so wrong” and “so f**ked on 100s of levels”.
Kardashian’s trainer, Don-A-Matrix, who worked with her prior to the Met Gala, has since responded to the backlash in an interview with TMZ, where he defended his client’s weight loss on the basis that she still maintained a “balanced diet” while putting the “work in”.
“I think one of the misconceptions people have about Kim is [that] she works really hard,” he said. “I was there through the process, so it wasn’t like a starving herself type of thing. I mean she’s been on a balanced diet. At times, she wouldn’t eat as much, but then the second thing was she’d be in the gym and put the work in.”
When asked if Kardashian’s weight loss was unhealthy in any way, Don responded: “Not at all. Not from my end from what I saw. We were working out sometimes twice a day.”
“It’s possible to lose 20 pounds in a healthy way,” he added.
Don also discussed Kardashian weight change in a recent Instagram post, where he questioned why people were “so offended” by it. He also claimed that he works with people who have goals similar to the reality star’s “all the time”.
“I’m not sure why people are offended by you losing 16lbs for this, but we did it healthy and focused utilising the Matrix Mindset,” he wrote in the caption. “I work with many people who gain and lose tonnes of weight for movie roles all the time, and you approached this like a role you were preparing for. Even boxers lose major weight for weigh-ins and they aren’t criticised.”
He then praised Kardashian for being so “inspirational,” as he acknowledged that she was very “dedicated” to her fitness routine.
“You worked hard to fit into this iconic dress, even doing workouts twice a day. Seeing how successful you are and how you continue to dedicate yourself is so inspirational,” he added.
In Reinhart’s post, she also expressed her disapproval of Kardashian’s comments as someone who has “millions of young men and women looking up to you and listening to your every word”.
“To openly admit to starving yourself for the sake of the Met Gala. When you know very well that millions of young men and women are looking up to you and listening to your every word,” she wrote on her Instagram story. “The ignorance is other-worldly disgusting.”
Ahead of the fashion extravaganza, Kardashian opened up about the three-week exercise routine and diet she followed in order to fit into Monroe’s dress while speaking toVogue. According to Kardashian, her daily habits included “eating the cleanest veggies” and running on the treadmill. At the time, she claimed that she “didn’t starve [herself],” but was “so strict”.
“I would wear a sauna suit twice a day, run on the treadmill, completely cut out all sugar and all carbs, and just eat the cleanest veggies and protein,” she said. “I didn’t starve myself, but I was so strict.”
