“What Happened?” Nelly Furtado Sparks Controversy as She Flaunts Her Body Transformation in New Bikini Pics

Music icon Nelly Furtado, 46, kicked off 2025 with a heartfelt and candid message addressing the pressures surrounding physical appearance, societal beauty standards, and the ongoing misconceptions about her looks. On January 5, she made waves online by posting two mirror selfies, confidently flaunting her figure in a bold orange bikini.

In one photo, captured from behind, Nelly Furtado strikes a playful pose, jutting out her hip and turning her head over her left shoulder. With a cheeky yet subtle smile, she gazes into the mirror. The second image, which serves as the cover, shows Furtado facing the camera, her right foot resting on the lower part of her left leg as she holds her phone, exuding a relaxed confidence.

In the caption accompanying her post, the singer delivered an inspiring message about self-love and celebrating uniqueness. “HAVE A BODY NEUTRAL 2025, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, LOVE WITH EVERY INCH OF YOUR HEART. THANKS FOR ALL THE MEMORIES THIS YEAR,” she wrote. “This year I became aware of the aesthetic pressure of my work in a brand-new way, while simultaneously I experienced new levels of self-love and genuine confidence from within,” the singer added.

In her post, Furtado shared that she has “never had” any cosmetic procedures on her face or body, aside from veneers on her top row of teeth, and has never undergone lip or face injections. However, she did reveal that she had to “pursue some legal action” against companies promoting services online that were “based on selling health and beauty myths about me.”

Furtado attributed her glowing appearance to serums and creams from an “old school facialist” she has been seeing since she was 20. She also shared some of her beauty secrets, explaining, “The day before photo shoots and red carpets, I drink a lot of water and sleep on my back.”

She went on to say, “Sometimes on the red carpet or at photo shoots my makeup artist uses face tape to give my eyes, skin and makeup more lift. Sometimes my stylist uses body tape to give a certain look to different silhouettes. Body makeup can also sometimes be contoured to achieve a certain look.”

“Makeup can do magical things!” Furtado wrote, clarifying that her recent bikini photos were completely unedited and taken while she was wearing no makeup. “But I do have a spray tan! I have spider veins, and they remind me of my mom and aunties and life, so I think that’s why I haven’t parted with them so far,” the singer admitted.

She wrapped up her message by saying, “My New Year’s message for 2025 is express yourself freely, celebrate your individuality, and know that it’s perfectly OK to be OK with what you see in the mirror, and it’s also OK to want something different.”

The post follows Furtado’s appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast in November 2024, where she shared that she feels “most confident” in her 40s. “It’s a very fun time in my life. I feel most confident now, I had the 40s glow-up,” the singer said. “I just feel like me, I had time to work on my inner life,” she added.

Nelly’s fans swiftly filled the comments section, expressing their admiration and support. One fan wrote, “Such a beautiful and empowering message for the new year! Your journey of self-love and authenticity continues to inspire so many.” Another fan commented, “A woman who looks like a real human woman... How refreshing!” Yet another fan remarked, “Real women come in every shape, size, and color. All I see is a beautiful lady rocking that swimsuit! Love your message.”

The wider audience, however, couldn’t ignore her dramatic transformation, and the comments section quickly became a place for mixed reactions. Some expressed their surprise with remarks like, “All these years I’ve been holding Nelly Furtado at the highest esteem! Didn’t have to do this! What’s gone wrong?!” and “Nelly, what happened?” Another person added, “Not a good look, the size of that behind is not something I would show off.”

Building on the supportive messages, another fan expressed, “I take my hat off to you, my favorite artist. You are beautiful, negative comments about your body should never matter. Generally, negative comments come from envious or insecure people who seek to make themselves feel better by bringing down the self-esteem of others. Keep it up Nelly, you’re beautiful, that’s for sure.”

Meanwhile, Lizzo confidently shows off her weight loss in a bold bikini, sparking a whirlwind of heated discussion.