David Foster and his wife Katharine McPhee have been married for years now, but social media users have called the singer-songwriter out after an old video of him calling the singer "fat" resurfaced online.
TRIGGER WARNING: This story contains topics about body image and eating disorders; reader's discretion is advised
During a previous performance, McPhee told the crowd that she met her now-husband almost 18 years ago when she was a contestant on American Idol. Later, a photo of them together from 2006 flashed on the LED screen. At the time, Foster was a mentor for the contestants.
"You may not know we met 17, almost 18 years ago when I was a little chubby and cheerful contestant on 'American Idol,'" McPhee said.
Later, the famed music producer told his wife, "Oh yeah, you were fat," while sitting at the piano during the concert.
His wife defended herself by saying, "I was a little chubby, OK? I was just young."
After the video went viral on social media again, fans expressed disappointment over Foster's comment, as many believed it was disrespectful.
"David Foster is superficial, into significantly younger women. He looks like a grandfather. Creeps me out," one wrote.
"This made my heart hurt. This beautiful girl was NEVER fat. You don't call your wife fat. As a joke or serious," one commented.
"If he can say that in front of a crowd, imagine the insensitivity comments in private," another one added.
In a previous interview with Good Morning America in 2006, following her stint on the reality TV competition program, McPhee got candid about her struggles for years, saying she had low self-esteem. During her adolescence, she gained weight and started having an eating disorder.
"Yeah, so this little girl grows up who thinks that being beautiful is the only thing that is important... Because as soon as I started putting on weight, what was the most important thing? To look perfect," she said.
When she auditioned for the show in 2005, the singer said it was around the time when her bulimia "was really getting out of control."
Unfortunately, the disorder also affected her vocal cords, which caused her voice to sound raspy, and it even bled at one point.
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