‘I’m Not Going To Look The Same’: K. Michelle Reveals She Had 13 Surgeries In One Year, Says She Developed Low Self-Esteem Due to Pressures from ‘the Industry’

K. Michelle has endured years of corrective medical procedures to restore her natural curves after falling victim to the pressures of perfection in the entertainment industry.

The singer shared the beginning of her journey to have black market butt injections, which traveled elsewhere in her lower extremities and caused health concerns, removed in 2018.

Since then, she has provided fans with periodic updates on her journey. In a new interview with The Shade Room, she revealed the extent of the process. “I had 13 surgeries in one year over an a—. You did all this; you almost lost your life over an a—,” said K. Michelle.

K. Michelle says she underwent 13 surgeries in one year to remove her butt injections. (Photos: Kmichellemusic/Instagram.)

The “Love ‘Em All” singer said that her own health issues caused by the silicone enhancements and the stories women share with her about their near-death experiences inspired her to go public about the removal process.

The Florida A&M University graduate further explained she did not have body image issues prior to pursuing her professional singing career. She said she was fine with her small teeth and smaller bust size. But being surrounded by women who had augmented their assets eventually took a toll on her self-confidence.

“I did it because I seen other people in the industry and I thought that that was the way,” said the former “Love & Hip-Hop: Atlanta” star. “I didn’t know certain things were needed and expected until the industry. And then it got very, ‘I gotta do this.’ … That was the worst s—t ever.”

Elsewhere in the interview, the mother of one noted that she has been doing the work to regain confidence in her body sans the extra curves. “There is a very, like, I got a dent right here, like I got a dent right here” she said, motioning to her hips.

“I feel like more, I be asking myself, ‘Are you healed or are you just numb?’ … When you do 13 surgeries in a year … you literally have to look at … I’m not going to look the same,” K. Michelle explained. 

Fans reacted by noting, “It’s the absolute honesty, and genuine concern for others that keeps me in her corner!”

“Society will tell you fix all this sh-t, and not give a f-ck when you’re dead. Don’t let them folks kill you…” wrote another.

According to the Memphis native, she still needs two more reconstructive surgeries to close that chapter of her life, but is uncertain if she will go through with them.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top