Grant Gustin has called out body shamers after a photo of him wearing a new suit for "The Flash" season 5 was leaked online.
Gustin's new outfit on the CW series appears to be made of thinner material than the traditional leather and features a mask that does not cover the actor's chin. Though the photo was seemingly taken during a costume fitting, a lot of people thought that it's the final version of the new suit and started criticizing not only the look of the costume but Gustin's body as well.
"So here's the thing about this bulls--t photo leak," Gustin wrote on Instagram on Wednesday. "It's a cool suit. There's a terrible photo that I was unaware was being taken, much less being posted. Some things need work and they will be worked on. We'll get there."
I really don't think this is the final version of The Flash suit. I heard it's a test suit and most likely is. You can see the costume room with the concepts in the back. I predict it'll have normore texture and the gold accents. pic.twitter.com/SswPu7GEZM — Let's Talk JSA! (@TalkingTheJSA) August 8, 2018
"As far as the body shaming, that's what pisses me off. Not even just for my sake," continued the 28-year-old actor. "I've had 20+ years of kids and adults telling me or my parents that I was too thin. But there's a double standard where it's OK to talk s--t about a dude's body. I do my best to stay in shape and add as much size as I can throughout these seasons. I'm naturally thin, and my appetite is greatly affected by stress. Stress is something that ebbs and flows for me throughout a season. Thus, gaining weight is a challenge for me."
The "Glee" alum went on to admit that he previously didn't see The Flash being played by a slim actor, noting that he tried out for the role without any expectation that he would be cast. "But, here I am 5 seasons later. I'm happy with my body and who I am and other kids who are built like me and thinner than me should be able to feel the same way. Not only that, but they should be able to feel like THEY could be a superhero on TV or film or whatever it may be someday."
Gustin ended his post assuring fans that they would like his new suit on the show. "I love the suit that has been designed for me, and I think when everyone sees it in its entirety, you will love it too," he wrote. "Things have been adjusted since that leaked shot was taken, and more things will continue to be adjusted until it feels right."
This isn't the first time Gustin fired back at body shamers via social media. In a couple of since-deleted tweets last October 2015, the actor wrote that people telling him to "put on 10 lbs" is "the same as telling someone to lose 10." "Lemme do me. You do you," he tweeted at the time.
"The Flash" season 5 is set to premiere in the US on Oct. 9 on The CW.
