Jessica Biel Says the “Better Sister” Body Is Not Realistic

It’s not lost on Jessica Biel that everyone is talking about her viral white dress moment in “The Better Sister.” But the star wants to set the record straight about her noticeably toned arms and back in the new series. Biel took to TikTok to address the hype, noting that the look everyone’s fawning over is not a realistic goal. “I just felt like I wanted to share that that peak shape in that show is not maintainable unless you are living the strictest, most rigid lifestyle with your nutrition and with your fitness, which I cannot do,” she says.

Biel’s honesty and transparency around what it takes to train for a television show is so refreshing because it points to the fact that onscreen bodies are not realistic. Celebrities train to look a certain way in a role, and even they can recognize that the image is not sustainable (not even with the disposable resources at their fingertips!). So remind me why we’re striving for it, again?

“Thanks for admitting that’s not sustainable,” wrote one commenter on Biel’s TikTok. “Thank you for your transparency and insight! We need more of this! The Better Sister was fantastic!!! 👏” wrote another. The truth is: while the entertainment industry may expect actors and actresses to train in an intense way for the sake of a certain aesthetic (and the ethics around this are questionable in themselves) — the rest of us definitely don’t have to.

Yet the internet chatter over Biel’s white dress also proves just how quickly we put celebrity bodies on a pedestal without thinking about the effort it took to look that way — and what it takes to maintain that level of fitness.

Biel goes on to demonstrate the strength moves she’s focused on after the show to “get a little bit back towards that shape.” But she understands that she won’t reach that peak again. Instead, she’s prioritizing building muscle and flexibility in her own fitness routine.

As Biel wrote in her video caption, “I’m no expert but I want people to be healthy, safe, and strong.” And that means choosing a workout that doesn’t just yield results, but is also sustainable. As a certified personal trainer, I live by a similar motto: the workout that works best is the one that works for you. Chances are, it won’t get you the physique you see on the silver screen, but it should make you feel good. That’s all that matters.

Mercey Livingston is a writer and editor with eight-plus years of experience covering fitness, health, and nutrition for media outlets and brands including Well+Good, Shape, and Women’s Health. She was the fitness editor at Peloton and held editorial roles at Equinox, Shape, and Well+Good. Mercey is a NASM-certified personal trainer and women’s fitness specialist. She’s also a certified holistic health coach through the Institute For Integrative Nutrition, with an additional certification in hormone health.