Teen body-shamed in viral prom photo makes brave social media return

High school student Tayja Jones-Banks was bullied after posting photos of her prom look in 2016. However, she is back this year to a more positive reaction.

The comments attacking her personal appearance affected her at the time — but she was determined to approach this year’s big dance with a positive mindset.

The 18-year-old senior at Pottsgrove High School in the US shared images on her Instagram account from the special night.

She wore an embellished pink dress to the event and carried a silver clutch that matched the detailing on her gown.

Her photos were met with incredibly positive comments.

One user commented, “You looked breathtakingly beautiful! I hope you had a blast, doll.”

Another added, “Love the color and style!! You look phenomenal.”

Jones-Banks tells Yahoo US that her experience with the negative comments last year did not affect her thought process while picking out this year’s prom dress — but it did give her some anxiety about going to the dance.

Despite being confident in her own skin, Jones-Banks was initially wary about sharing her prom photos again on social media.

“I was afraid to post any photos this year because of last year, but then I realised that I liked what I looked like, and that’s all that matters,” she says.