"They were right." Ali Oetjen's powerful response after being trolled for editing her photos.

On Tuesday, former Bachelorette Ali Oetjen was attacked by trolls for a photo she shared on Instagram.

After Ali posted two selfies with a freshly made-up face, the hate came thick and fast – with several Instagram users criticising the image for the way she edited it and labelled her “fake”.

Mamamia’s daily news podcast The Quicky will get you up to speed on what you need to know today….

“Why does this picture look like a cartoon? You are already way more naturally beautiful than most people with out all this extreme photoshop crap. What you are actually doing is feeding a false reality and affecting young impressionable girls,” one said.

 

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I have these epiphanies or strong intuition feelings & have to share because I get so excited & get such clarity. Does anyone else experience these? By stopping our mental block & going with our energy flow, we believe whole heartedly, we feel openly, we say what we mean(without hurting) instead of what we “think” should be said! I do this all the time & catch myself out on it & I’m so much happier! ???? #selfcheck #selfawareness Go with YOUR FLOW not THE FLOW! #fromtheheart #selflove #inspired #inspiring #healthyliving . Makeup genius~ @johnnytmakeup Tan & Lashes~ @beautyloungestkilda Teeth Whitened~ @bondstreetdental Hair & extensions~ @theblobar & @seamless1 . TAG ME in your healthy living posts for your chance to WIN a free Healthy Lifestyle E-book @alioetjen #alioetjen

A post shared by Ali Oetjen (@alioetjen) on Feb 18, 2019 at 3:39pm PST

But while other fans threw their support behind the reality star and wellness blogger, condemning the trolls for their hate-filled messages, the negative commentary stuck with Ali.

So much so, it prompted a second post – one where she looked raw, make-up free and teary-eyed.

“I started my workout at 5am this morning because I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep because online bullies comments hurt AND I disliked how so many comments on my recent post were right,” she wrote.

She went on to question her motives behind posting the image to begin with, touching on the pressures of social media and being in the public eye to appear “perfect”.

“I asked myself, why wasn’t my original photo good enough to share with the world?! At the time I thought, this photo of my face is not ‘pretty enough’. I have an image to uphold and must make it look flawless! Crap! It made me feel sh*t!! I don’t want to conform, I want to continue to inspire real women to love themselves for the bloody breathtaking beings that we are,” she passionately shared.

She continued: “I’m not confident 24/7, I’m vulnerable, fragile and sensitive… On my ‘good days’ my mindset stays strong that people’s comments are only a reflection of themselves. But on my bad days they HURT.”

She concluded with a message of empowerment: “[This is] a post to inspire women to know that we’re all good enough Just. The. Way. We. Are.”

 

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I started my workout at 5am this morning, earlier than usual because I couldn’t sleep. I couldn’t sleep because online bullies comments hurt AND I disliked how so many comments on my recent post were right. I asked myself, why wasn’t my original photo good enough to share with the world?! At the time I thought, this photo of my face is not “pretty enough” I have an image to uphold & must make it look flawless! Crap! It made me feel sh*t!! I don’t want to conform, I want to continue to inspire real women to love themselves for the bloody breathtaking beings that we are. This is me at this VERY moment, no make up, no filters or edits and I’m scared sh*tless to upload it, but want too so I prove my point that real is better, to share with you that I’m nowhere near perfect & that we all have similar feelings. I’m scared because I think I’ll let ppl down(don’t know who they are btw!!), be judged, compared & ridiculed by the media. I have the same inhibitions/insecurities as every other woman out there. I believe we all have our good and bad days(hopefully mostly good) but on the bad days like TODAY I cry because I’m not confident 24/7, I’m vulnerable, fragile & sensitive. . To the bullies out there; I’m more engaged with my followers online than ever because of my business & so I read comments, react & reply. On my ‘good days’ my mindset stays strong that people’s comments are only a reflection of themselves. But on my bad days they HURT. This isn’t a post for anyone to feel sorry for me BUT it IS a post to inspire women to know that we’re all good enough Just. The. Way. We. Are & we’re all in it together!!!!! We all share the same feelings & energies surrounding body image, self image, self love and we all know it comes down to our inner light & inner beauty. I’m not flawless, I’m not perfect, I don’t love myself everyday the way I should but I try & control my thoughts & resort back to knowing my worth. Comment with your favourite coloured heart below to share with YOURSELF. ❤️???????????????????????? #selflove #real #unity

A post shared by Ali Oetjen (@alioetjen) on Feb 19, 2019 at 3:00pm PST

Speaking to Mamamia, Ali said it was the negative vitriol which inspired her to “be more real” – a mantra she vows to stick to from now on when it comes to social media.

“I know I have a voice, and I think it should be used in a really positive way. I’m going through it, so I’m going to share my feelings and everything with all the other women out there,” she said.

“I want to empower women and encourage self-love by just being myself and telling the truth about how I feel.”

She added that the pressures to always portray perfection on Instagram can at times be overwhelming, but she is determined to shift the dialogue on Instagram to make it a space for body positivity and self-love.

“I wouldn’t normally put up a photo without makeup on Instagram because I’m looked at with a magnifying glass and I’m scared. I get scared because I think I have to be perfect,” she told Mamamia.

“Sometimes I think if I didn’t need social media for business I would just delete it because it’s so unhealthy… But it can be such a good platform for us to help each other, too.”

“[After the negative comments] I pondered on it all night, and it’s not me. Some of the comments about not portraying a good image for young girls really stuck with me. Then I’m like I have to be more real, I have to show them how to be real, too.”

It’s not the first time we’ve seen the influencer share her struggles with body image.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph last year, Ali confessed nine years ago she underwent breast enhancement surgery in order to impress a boyfriend, and she deeply regrets it.

“My boobs were not money well spent,” she said.

“If I had my time over, I would not have gotten them done.

“When I got them done, I did it for someone else. I thought it would make them happy.”