Chloe Grace Moretz responds to becoming a meme on Family Guy

Chloe Grace Moretz has spoken out about the writers of Family Guy turning her body into a meme.

Growing up as a child star, having been thrust into the spotlight by her role in 2010's Kick Ass, Moretz recently opened up about moments which have tested her mental health the most.

In particular, the actor spoke of the time she became a meme, after a photograph of her entering a hotel with leftover pizza went viral on social media... which then made its way onto Family Guy.

Reflecting on the difficulties of growing up in the film industry, Moretz told Hunger how 'for a long time [she] was able to be the Chloë that people see and the Chloë that [she is] in private'.

But then, 'those two worlds collided and [she] felt really raw and vulnerable and open'.

To top it off, then came 'the onslaught of horrific memes that started getting sent' to Moretz 'about [her] body'.

Speaking of the picture specifically, Moretz said: "And this photo got manipulated into a character from Family Guy with the long legs and the short torso, and it was one of the most widespread memes at the time."

The fictional character in question? The great aunt of Griffin - called Legs Go All The Way Up Griffin - who is introduced to the Fox sitcom in season 10 episode seven and voiced by Seth MacFarlane.

Moretz's body subsequently became subject to scrutiny and ridicule.

"Everyone was making fun of my body and I brought it up with someone and they were like, ‘Oh, shut the f**k up, it’s funny.’

"And I just remember sitting there and thinking, my body is being used as a joke and it’s something that I can’t change about who I am, and it is being posted all over Instagram.

"It was something so benign as walking into a hotel with leftovers. And to this day, when I see that meme, it’s something very hard for me to overcome," Moretz said.

This incident - and memes in particular - triggered a low part of Moretz's life and led to her 'basically' becoming 'a recluse'.

She reflected: "After that, I was kind of sad. It took a layer of something that I used to enjoy, which was getting dressed up and going to a carpet and taking a photo, and made me super self-conscious.

"And I think that body dysmorphia – which we all deal with in this world – is extrapolated by the issues of social media. It’s a headf**k."

However, while her job has seen her thrust into an, at times, uncomfortable spotlight, it also acts as 'a form of therapy' for Moretz.

Her latest project - television sci-fi thriller, The Peripheral - 'was wonderful and really healing'.

Moretz added: "To say that these past two years have been transformative is an understatement, to say the least. I’m a very different girl than I was. I feel like a woman now."

The Peripheral is currently set for release on Amazon Prime on 21 October.

If you have been affected by the contents of this article, contact Mind on 0300 123 3393 between 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday (except bank holidays). Alternatively, you can visit their website here

Topics: Celebrity, Film and TV, Mental Health, Social Media, Viral, Instagram

Poppy Bilderbeck

Poppy Bilderbeck is a Senior Journalist at LADbible Group. She graduated from The University of Manchester in 2021 with a First in English Literature and Drama, where alongside her studies she was Editor-in-Chief of The Tab Manchester. Poppy is most comfortable when chatting about all things mental health, is proving a drama degree is far from useless by watching and reviewing as many TV shows and films as possible and is such a crisp fanatic the office has been forced to release them in batches.