Love Is Blind alum Chelsea Blackwell is being honest about her decision to get a tummy tuck.
“I was really open and honest about my weight and how I struggled with it my whole life, just feeling crappy,” Chelsea, 32, told E! News in an interview published on Sunday, October 20, calling the surgery “a big leap of faith.”
The reality TV personality said that she “never” had a surgery like this before, explaining why she went under the knife.
“I just was in the time of my life where I hit 30, and I was struggling,” she said. “I’m so happy with it. I’m very, very grateful I did it.”
Along with the surgery, Chelsea changed her diet and implemented exercise into her daily routine.
“Taking care of yourself and feeling good about yourself — not only physically, but mentally as well — it’s something I’m really passionate about,” she shared. “Mental health is definitely the base of everything. Therapy, I’m preaching it!”
Publicly sharing the news of her tummy tuck was a conscious decision for the Netflix alum, who wanted to be “honest and raw” with her supporters.
“If someone is struggling or in the same mindset I was, I want them to feel a connection with me and know that they’re not alone,” she told E! News. “I don’t ever want to be like, ‘I got this body by working out and eating healthy.’ No, I went, and I got something done. I don’t want to lie to people.”
News of Chelsea’s tummy tuck comes months after she addressed speculation about a separate cosmetic procedure. In July, Love Is Blind fans were convinced that she had gotten her chin shaved down — which was not the case.
“It’s mommas [sic] birthday and this is the first time I’ve put a drop of makeup on in 2 weeks,” she captioned an Instagram Story at the time, making sure her chin was in frame. “But for all you conspiracy theorist[s] saying I’m bed ridden [sic] because I got my chin shaved down … shes [sic] still strong chinned.”
Chelsea did, however, confess to getting “new tatas,” which is something she wanted to do for years.
Since she appeared on Love Is Blind season 6, which aired earlier this year, Chelsea has been candid about the “before [and] after,” especially when it comes to her weight loss journey.
“I’m not a nutritionist by any means [and] I also stand by I love my body. I’ve never been a small girl my entire life and I’m OK with that,” she told fans in an April TikTok. “I love her and she’s healthy and she’s strong.”
Chelsea accepted a proposal from Jimmy Presnell in the pods on the reality dating series, but he called off their engagement before they walked down the aisle. She debuted her relationship with boyfriend Tim Teeter via Instagram earlier this month.
