Australian Model Ellie Gonsalves has never shied away from sharing her life on social media. From touching on moments of trauma in her past to openly discussing not-so-sexy gut problems, or even posting a comprehensive list of reasons (117!!) why she doesn’t want kids, Ellie hasn’t stepped back from issues that might make most media personalities nervous. And, it turns out, she has no plans on stopping now.
“I’ve always been very honest online,” she tells PEDESTRIAN.TV.
“I feel like having the profile that I do, and the platform I have as well, I felt like it’s always very important for me to speak on not only the wonderful things that are going on in my life but also the things that I’m struggling with and how I handled those things.
“It’s so important because there are so many people — especially young women — out there who follow me and it’s like, you’ve got to take that responsibility seriously. And while I do post funny things online, I do like to share those struggles too.”
One of the most heartwrenching topics Ellie has openly touched on over the years is her father’s tragic passing by suicide.
“It was nine years ago now, which is wild, but I’ve always been honest about how I got through those things and navigated that tough period in my life. I feel like that openness gives people the chance to realise that life isn’t perfect. But hopefully, people can take something away from my experience and it helps them get through whatever they’re going through whether it’s family, relationships or health.
“I just think it’s really important to speak about things you struggle with and share how you get through them.”
Most recently, the 34-year-old has opened up about her gut health journey. Two years ago, she was struggling with a range of symptoms from chronic painful bloating, cystic acne, anxiety, water retention and brain fog.
“For the first time in my life, I didn’t know how to handle my health,” she said, noting that she spent hours Googling her symptoms to no avail.
After visiting her doctor and getting checked out, her naturopath did a gut microbiome test and discovered that her gut microbiome was completely unbalanced due to work-related stress. As a result, she says her mental health suffered until she was able to control her symptoms by using supplements to help repair her gut health.
Through her own gut health journey, she found Kailo Nutrition and is now proud to call herself the brand’s global ambassador, spruiking the mind-body connection between gut health and mental health.
In fact, she spent the last week promoting the brand’s Anxious Girl Elixir in Times Square.
“When I tell you I tried everything to stop these, chronic bloating and the acne on my like neck. I did everything and nothing worked,” the former Big Brother VIP contestant lamented.
“But this was the one product that actually really helped with repairing my gut. And I think when I shared it online, it just resonated with so many people.”
Although Ellie’s outspoken nature online feels like a breath of fresh air, it hasn’t been without its downfall. In November 2023, Ellie found herself at the centre of a viral shitstorm after sharing a list of 118 reasons that she did not want to have kids. The list featured all sorts of reasons from serious to satirical, and resonated with thousands of women around the world. However, it sparked outrage amongst child-rearing enthusiasts too.
Suddenly, her social media was filled with hateful comments. And her husband Ross found his social media accounts flooded with messages telling him it “wasn’t too late to divorce his wife”.
“It was like they thought I was the only one driving that decision and being like, ‘Oh, well, I’m not gonna have kids’ and he’s just like along for the ride like no, we made this decision together.”
For Ellie, landing in the middle of that criticism was a bit of a doozy but she thinks it says more about the the haters than it does about her.
“I think if somebody’s own opinion on their life choices affects you to the point where you have to negatively comment about something, then I’m not the problem. That’s something they have to solve on their own. That’s them. That’s a them problem,” she said.
“Sharing my life choices should not make people feel upset to the point where they feel that they’ve got to do that.”
In the blink of an eye, the 34-year-old found herself at the centre of a tug-of-war, between people who felt attacked by her post and others who finally felt heard. As a result, she found herself as a poster child for the child-free community. Thankfully, it’s an appointment she’s cool with.
“If people want to make me a poster child for a child-free life, I’m happy to be that,” she says.
“I know people struggle with all of the rubbish that comes along with that. I can deal with it. If I can be that voice for those people I’m more than happy to be.
“I am steadfast in my decisions and what makes me happy. The negative stuff and the positive stuff really doesn’t affect me but I love that it resonated with so many people all around the world. To this day, it still blows me away.”
The post Model Ellie Gonsalves On The Wild Backlash She Copped From Her 117 Reasons Not To Have Kids appeared first on PEDESTRIAN.TV .
