Billy Corgan Goes Public With His Body Image Struggle

Billy Corgan has been plenty busy in recent weeks both on tour with Smashing Pumpkins and with running the recent sold-out NWA 76 event in Philadelphia. Last week he and wife Chloe Mendel also announced they’re expecting their third child together.

On Tuesday, Corgan took to Instagram to reveal that he’s struggled with body image issues over a birthmark that covers much of his hand and forearm. He shared an image of himself and also of a 23-year-old model and influencer with a similar birthmark on her face.

Corgan wrote: “I’m a fan of body positivity movements because at the end of the day it is about celebrating what makes us ‘us’. So as you see, here is a beautiful young woman (@carlotta_bertotti ) with a birthmark who has embraced her ‘difference’ with grace.”

He continued saying that he’s tried to hide his “port wine” birthmarks his entire life and was teased for them when he was younger. “My point being that my whole life I’ve endeavoured to hide my ‘port wine’ birthmarks because as you can imagine I was teased unmercifully about them as a child. So much so that people who have known me for a decade are shocked when they finally ‘see it’. And even now strangers will stop me on the street not because they recognize me but because they think something is wrong with me that requires medical attention.”

“Plus the random questions: Is that a burn? Are you sick? Is it contagious? Does it hurt?”

He concluded: “So positive message for the day: Whoever you are, I hope you find peace with who you are because: I would like to know that person and no one else.”