Kevin Smith loses 65 pounds after being kicked off flight |
"I sympathize far more with heavier people than I ever will with thin -- I'll never be thin," Smith, 40, told Joy Behar Feb. 9, 2011. (see video at left)
The 5'9" Kevin, who has struggled with weight all his life, has no delusions that he'll be mistaken for Cristiano Ronaldo, but is content with his progress.
"Let's be honest, I've lost 65 pounds, but nobody's going 'I wanna sleep with you!' " jokes Smith. "They're just like, 'Keep going, you look better.' "
Still, there's no denying Kevin looks healthier and much younger. Smith, who has been a yo-yo dieter all his life, says he has gotten used to wearing loose-fitting clothes no matter what his size.
"I call up Omar the tent maker," he joked. "Get me a hockey jersey, and he takes all the rayon, all this material... and makes my jersey. It's a whole team I'm wearing! I'm wearing 12 kids on my chest."
Kevin is a prolific actor, writer and producer, as well as the director of Mallrats (1995), Chasing Amy (1997), Dogma (1999), Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back (2001), Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008) and Cop Out (2010).
In February 2010, Smith made headlines after being removed from a Southwest Airlines flight for being "too fat."
'Sometimes a Fat Dude Has a Lot to Offer'
Kevin tweeted about the incident on Feb. 14, 2010:
"I know I'm fat. But was Captain Leysath [sic] really justified in throwing me off a flight for which I was already seated?"
Southwest Air later apologized to Smith, but he lashed out, accusing the airline of discriminating against fat people:
Hey @SouthwestAir? F-ck making it right for me just 'cause I have a platform. I sat next to a big girl who was chastised for not buying an extra ticket because "all passengers deserve their space." F-cking flight wasn't even full! F-ck your size-ist policy. Rude...
Even though he's thinner now, Kevin is still furious about the incident.
"I'm still the same person I was when I was 65 pounds heavier," he says. "Sometimes a fat dude has a lot to offer, if [you] can just get past the blubber."