Chloe Bailey shares heartbreaking confession about her body: 'I was ashamed'

Chloe Bailey looked gorgeous at the Billboard Music Awards on Sunday, showcasing her curves in a figure-hugging cut-out dress by Valdrin Shahiti – but she is the first to admit she hasn't always been so body positive.

MORE: Show-stopping red carpet looks from the Billboard Music Awards 2022

The 23-year-old singer and actress revealed that she used to feel "ashamed" of her figure and admitted that it took her a "very long time" to finally be comfortable in her own skin.

WATCH: Victoria Beckham reveals her new 'curve-loving' fashion collection

Speaking about her relationship with her body, Chloe told Allure: "It's complicated. I've always had thick thighs and a butt. But I was growing up at a time when, if someone on television told you that you had a big butt, they meant it as an insult.

"So, I was a little ashamed of my curves. I tried to hide them. It took a very, very long time. Now my favorite thing about [my body] is my butt."

RELATED: Elizabeth Hurley makes confession about body confidence - exclusive

ALSO: HELLO! launches Jubilee T-shirt collection to celebrate Queen Elizabeth in style

One of the reasons that Chloe learned to embrace her curves was after being inspired by the likes of Beyonce and Jill Scott.

Chloe now feels confident about her curves

"The first woman I saw embrace her body was Beyoncé. Hearing her sing Bootylicious or seeing her perform on the BET [Awards] made me feel calm about my body."

She added: "Also, Jill Scott. She showed me another beautiful, full-figured, thick, sexy, curvaceous [woman]. And I was like, that is sexy."

Chloe also spoke of feeling "lost" when she was separated from her sister and best friend, singer, and soon-to-be The Little Mermaid star Halle Bailey, during the pandemic.

Chloe and sister Halle are extremely close

The siblings were forced to spend six months apart in different countries after Halle was unable to fly home from London during the height of the lockdown.

"I was at a low moment where I felt lost like I didn't have any sense of who I was," she said. However, working on her debut solo album gave her something to focus on.

She added: "Music saved me. "In the beginning, you can tell that [the person] who is singing is like a bird with broken wings. As time went on, you can hear me finding my strength and confidence. I didn't want to lose that story as I pieced the [songs] together."

Read more HELLO! US stories here 

Like this story? Sign up to our HELLO! newsletters to get other stories like this delivered straight to your inbox.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qbHLpaammZeWx6q6xGeaqKVfnbKiuNOhmKeckpqutsDYaJ%2BemZyptW6tzZ1kn6Gko7K0v45rZ2tqYGp%2BeH2TaWxpal%2BYta27xGaZmqGcmsZutMSaqa2aopqurLXNoGScp56bsrS%2FyKilZpmjna6uscNmpp9lk6q%2Ft7HSZpmonKlivbC%2FyK2gr51f