August 12, 2025
Kim Coles recalls the threats she received from “Living Single” producers about her weight.
Kim Coles is opening up about the behind-the-scenes pressure she faced from Living Single producers about her fluctuating weight while filming the hit ’90s sitcom.
Speaking on a recent episode of the ReLiving Single podcast, Coles recalled a fat joke that was included in the “Crappy Birthday” episode about Khadijah (Queen Latifah), which was a rare occurrence as Queen Latifah gave producers pushback about including those types of jokes in the show. It was the type of advocacy that Coles appreciated due to her change in size while filming the show, which prompted threats from producers.
“We didn’t do a lot of that on this show, and I’m grateful that we didn’t do a lot of that on this show because I gained weight every year,” Coles shared to her co-host and Living Single co-star Erika Alexander. “And we could have a whole conversation about [it]. I’m surprised we let that one go.”
“I would get a call at the beginning of every season to my manager saying, ‘Kim Coles has to lose some weight. She has to lose some weight. She has to lose some weight,” she went on to share.
She even reminded Alexander of the time she told her about producers’ threats of writing “fat jokes” if she didn’t lose weight.
@relivingsinglepodcast The industry could be so cruel, but the love of your sisters will always prevail 💞 Check out the latest episode of the #ReLivingSingle podcast✨TOMORROW✨ on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts! #LivingSingle #KimColes #ErikaAlexander #Podcasts ♬ original sound – ReLiving Single Podcast
Coles said producers tried to justify the fat jokes by claiming her character’s friends “wouldn’t say anything” if her weight changed. But after talking to male friends, she learned most Black men wouldn’t mind the women’s sizes on the show, reinforcing her belief that Eurocentric beauty standards were being imposed on the all-Black cast.
“There is an expectation… of what they think sexy is,” Coles said. “I had a really hard time as I was gaining weight and feeling as if everybody was staring.”
Alexander reflected on how the producers influenced Coles and how she worked hard to maintain the image they expected.
“See, that’s — you have to have willing collaborators,” Alexander said. “But, you know, the sad part is it got in your mind because I do remember that you went on a very concerted effort throughout the series to keep the image that they wanted.”
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