Bridesmaids star Melissa McCarthy responds to critic who called her a 'hippo'

Melissa McCarthy has broken her silence over the remarks made by film critic Rex Reed about her weight.

The New York Observer writer came under widespread criticism in February after he made a series of personal remarks about the actress.

In his review of her film 'The Identity Thief', he called McCarthy 'tractor-sized' and a 'female hippo', among a series of other slurs.

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Among those who came to her defence was her 'Bridesmaids' director Paul Feig, who tweeted that Reed should 'go f**k himself'.

Speaking to the New York Times, McCarthy said: “I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate.

“I just thought, that’s someone who’s in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot. I laugh my head off every day with my husband and my kids, who are mooning me and singing me songs.”

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She added that had she read something like that during her 20s, she may have been 'crushed' and that we now live in 'a strange epidemic of body image and body dysmorphia'.

Reed later defended himself over the comments.

“I object to using health issues like obesity as comedy talking points. That’s what this girl does,” he said.

“I have too many friends that have died of obesity-related illnesses, heart problems and diabetes. I have helped people try to lose weight, and I don't find this to be the subject of a lot of humor.”

McCarthy hit headlines earlier this week when the UK poster for her new film 'The Heat' was taken to task for what appeared to be excessive air-brushing.

The actress's face looked barely recognisable in the picture, as well as appearing to have been slimmed down.