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Penelope Cruz and Gwyneth Paltrow at Goop Health Summit© Getty Images

Penelope Cruz reveals that society's expectations of body image made her hate herself

The star confessed she felt pressured to look her best hours after having her first son


UPDATED JULY 5, 2019 3:23 PM EDT

International superstar Penelope Cruz spoke up about body image and the ways media, society and even fairytales affected her after having her first child back, Leo Bardem, back in 2011. The Spanish beauty entered the entertainment world at the young age of fifteen and made her television debut a year later.

With her beautiful looks and as the wife of fellow actor Javier Bardem, Penelope has never been too far away from the spotlight. In 2011 when she welcomed her son, the media’s expectations weighed down on the star. See what she has to say about dealing with her post-pregnancy body.

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Penelope revealed during an interview with Gwyneth Patrow at the In Goop Health 2019 Summit that she felt pressured to be back in her pre-pregnancy body just hours after welcoming son Leo. In fact, she was in heels just twelve hours later! With growth comes knowledge, and the way Penelope treated her body in 2013 after her daughter Luna was born was quite different! After Luna’s birth, Penelope had outgrown her care for what others thought. Instead of rushing out of the hospital to “get her body back,” she stayed in the hospital for several days resting, relaxing and spending time with her precious daughter.

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