At 55, Ricki Lake Bares All In Nude Photo As She Reflects On Her 'Complete Self-Acceptance And Self Love'

Jun 09, 2023

Famously known for her role as Tracy Turnblad in “Hairspray,” Ricki Lake went from an actress in her youth to being the youngest syndicated talk show host on television. 

Born in Hastings-on-Hudson in New York, to a Jewish family in 1968, Lake was largely raised by her paternal grandmother until she passed away in 1978. She later attended Ithaca College for a year. 

At 20 years old, Lake made her iconic film debut as the young Tracy Turnblad from Baltimore, the lead character in the 1988 cult classic John Waters’ film “Hairspray.”  After she successfully entered the movie industry, Lake appeared in other Waters films, including “Cry-Baby,” “Cecil B. Demented” and “Serial Mom,” as well as other notable films from other directors such as “Mrs. Winterbourne” and “Inside Monkey Zetterland.” 

Shortly after her rise to fame, Lake transitioned to television and became the youngest person at the time to host a talk show. She hosted her own self-titled talk show, “Ricki Lake,” which specialized in various topics for invited guests and incorporated questions and comments from the studio audience. The show aired in 1993 and ended in 2004. 

After wrapping up her first talk show, Lake became a host on the CBS Game series “Gameshow Marathon,” a show that re-created classic game shows featuring celebrity contestants. Eventually, Lake went on to become a mother of two kids as she weathered various controversies, including her drastic weight loss. 

Despite all the criticisms about her body, Lake has remained confident as she bared it all in an Instagram photo shared on June 7, 2023, which attracted mixed reactions from her followers on the platform. Keep on reading to learn more about Lake, the battles she fought and the photo that stirred her Instagram followers once again. 

For more than three decades, Lake struggled with hair loss. She gave the world a piece of herself when she shared her secret with the public, as she aimed to help other people experiencing the same problem overcome its stigma and insecurity. 

In an Instagram post in January 2022, Lake shared the video of how her actual hair shaving in 2019 took place. 

“3 years ago today, on the afternoon of New Year’s eve day 2019, I took a brave ass leap of faith and chose to make the drastic decision to shave my head after years and years of struggling in secret w/ my androgenic hair loss,” she said. 

According to Lake, she had never shared the video with anyone, but at the time, she finally wanted to, especially with those who followed her story. 

“Some of you know my struggle all too well personally and I want you to know, I truly feel you,” she explained. “In this video, you can see me come to a place of peace, liberation, and most importantly, self-love and self-acceptance,” she said. 

In an Instagram post, Lake revealed that it was her role in “Hairspray” that permanently damaged her hair. 

“Ever since I played Tracy Turnblad in the original Hairspray back in 1988 and they triple-processed and teased my then healthy virgin hair every 2 weeks during filming, my hair was never the same,” she wrote in the emotional message. “In my case, I believe my hair loss was due to many factors, yo-yo dieting, hormonal birth control, radical weight fluctuations over the years, my pregnancies, genetics, stress, and hair dyes and extensions. Working as talent on various shows and movies, whether DWTS or my talk show, also took its toll on my fine hair.”

Before she finally shared with the world her hair loss problem, Lake kept it a secret. According to her, she reached 270 pounds because of the incident. In her book, “Your Best Birth,” she mentioned that she did not want to be attractive at all. Through her weight, she says she carried the shame around for years.

Thankfully, she recovered from childhood body issues at some point, partly because she decided to speak out about it. “I was able to look at my body and see what it was able to do and embrace it,” she said while speaking with People Magazine in 2009. 

Until 2023, Lake carried that same principle that kept her firm and grounded. In an Instagram post that she shared on June 7, 2023, Lake posed nude as she embraced herself, along with the problems she successfully overcame in life. 

“Hands down, these days are the best of my life. 54 1/2 years old (young!) Grateful for all that had to happen for me to get to here. A place of complete self-acceptance and self love,” she wrote in the caption.

In the photo, Lake could be seen hugging herself as she looked up in the air, smiling and feeling triumphant. Sitting in a bathtub outdoors, Lake was one with nature as she was photographed nude in the said photo.

Comments on her Instagram post were overwhelming, with many of her followers expressing their happiness at the actress’s self-acceptance. 

“Being in a place of self acceptance and self love must feel like the most empowering experience and gift to give yourself — amazing,” a user shared. 

“i can’t explain how much i adore u,” comedienne Rosie O’Donnell wrote.

“Your body is saying that you are Free. I so love your energy. Body Beautiful,” another commented.

Are you a fan of Ricki Lake? What can you say about the challenges she has faced? What do you think about her successful journey through self-acceptance? Let us know, and pass this on to your family and other loved ones to inspire them and light up their day.