Troye Sivan Opens Up on Body Image Struggles After Doctor's Viral TikTok Critique

Troye Sivan, the Grammy-nominated Australian singer known for hits like "Rush"and "Angel Baby, published a detailed Substack post on January 21, 2026, titled “feeling a bit uggo , initially drafted as “F*ck this guy! For real! ” . The post responded to a now-deleted TikTok video by aesthetics doctor Zayn, who critiqued Sivan's looks from his appearance at the NGV Gala, describing him as "older looking"and offering unsolicited advice on treatments to "essentially re-twinkify"him. .

In the post, Sivan outlined a "two-pronged"natural response to such body image pressure, varying by day or hour. . In "Prong #1, he embraced body positivity rooted in his Tumblr days, noting recent personal changes: “It’s only been 6 weeks, and sometimes I’ll run my hands over my chest and feel like it belongs to someone else. I have more energy and less tension in my neck. I’m proud of myself. . For "Prong #2, Sivan admitted researching Zayn's suggested treatments, including under-eye fat transfer, which he learned would cost $3, 00 USD for a consultation, and baby Botox, though he expressed concerns about a "frozen look"and visible "elevens"lines. .

Sivan reflected on his NGV Gala red carpet experience, stating, “I knew on the night of the NGV Gala that I did not feel like I looked good on the red carpet. I checked my Instagram tags and was definitely like……’ Oh. It wasn’t great. Hearing this unsolicited medical advice given publicly by a doctor I do not know pushed me toward Prong #2 for a fair few days. . He concluded uncertainly: “So, who’s going to win out in the end of the day? Prong #1? Prong #2? I’m embarrassed to say, but I can’t make any promises. Keep your eyes on my under eyes for updates. .

Shortly after, Sivan updated followers that Zayn had removed the video and sent a "really thoughtful and sweet message apologising, to which he replied, “No hard feelings from my side whatsoever. Thanks for all the love, guys. .

This incident echoes Sivan's prior experiences with body image discourse in the LGBTQ+ community. In July 2023, his "Rush"music video faced criticism for centering "white twinks and chiseled bodies, lacking diverse representations, which sparked memes and debates. . Speaking to Billboard, Sivan acknowledged the critique: “I definitely hear the critique. To be honest, it just wasn’t a thought we had – we obviously weren’t saying, ‘We want to have one specific type of person in the video. We just made the video, and there wasn’t a ton of thought put behind that. . He also condemned related body-shaming: “There was this article yesterday, and they were talking about , and in the same sentence, this person said ‘Eat something, you stupid twinks, . . That really bummed me out to read that — because I’ve had my own insecurities with my body image. I think that everyone’s body is as beautiful as it is, including my own, and it just sucks to see people talking about other people’s bodies. .

Sivan's openness resonates in LGBTQ+ spaces, where gay men often face heightened pressure to maintain a youthful, lean "twink"aesthetic, as referenced in Zayn's commentary. . His post has garnered supportive responses from fans and outlets like Pop Crave, amplifying discussions on body positivity versus societal expectations for transgender and cisgender LGBTQ+ individuals alike. . As a prominent gay artist, Sivan's vulnerability underscores broader community impacts of viral scrutiny and unsolicited advice from public figures. .