![Cannes Lions : Day Four Kim Kardashian West at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity in Cannes, France on June 24, 2015.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/kim-kardashian-west.jpg?quality=85&w=2400)
Kim Kardashian West has perfected the pouty look, but why so serious? The star says there’s a reason why she doesn’t show off her pearly whites.
Kardashian West tells C Magazine in a new interview that her reluctance to smile stems from her first pregnancy in 2013 with daughter North West.
The reality star, 34, says preeclampsia caused her to bloat, and in turn set her up for harsh critique from the public.
“Last time [contributed to] not only the weight, but also the swelling that everyone would make fun of, not understanding that I had this condition,” she tells Amanda de Cadenet in the magazine’s 10th anniversary cover story.
The expecting mom calls the body-shaming the “worst.”
“I couldn’t help it, and everyone would say, ‘She can’t stop eating,’ ” she says. “I delivered at 180, and they were like, ‘She’s 210 pounds. She’s getting dumped because she’s too fat’ and all these ridiculous stories. It really took a toll after the fact, when I was losing weight. I gained 50 pounds, and it’s tough to get it off.”
Kardashian West, whose husband Kanye West is also known for his reluctance to grin, says she was “dedicated” to getting back to her pre-baby shape, but it “changed the way I viewed wanting my picture taken.”
“Before I was always smiling, and so into being out and about,” she tells the magazine. “After I had the baby, I was like, ‘These are the same people that made fun of me, and posted the stories that were so awful, calling me fat for something I couldn’t control.'”
Her solution? No more smiling.
“‘I don’t want to smile for them. I don’t want to be out,'” Kardashian West says. “Even if I was more confident, I just didn’t feel like being that girl who was going to be smiling for every photo. It changed my mood; it changed who I was; it changed my personality a lot.”
This article originally appeared on People.com
See Kim Kardashan and North West's Style
![Kim Kardashian heads out for the airport with daughter North West in Paris Kim Kardashian heads out for the airport with daughter North West in Paris](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-011.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Givenchy : Front Row - Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015 Givenchy : Front Row - Paris Fashion Week Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-021.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and their daughter North West walk to the Balenciaga Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015 Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and their daughter North West walk to the Balenciaga Womenswear Spring/Summer 2015](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-031.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Kim Kardashian and baby North West at the Los Angeles International Airport ***NO DAILY MAIL SALES*** Kim Kardashian and baby North West at the Los Angeles International Airport ***NO DAILY MAIL SALES***](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-041.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and baby North West at the Los Angeles International Airport ***NO DAILY MAIL SALES*** Kim Kardashian, Kanye West and baby North West at the Los Angeles International Airport ***NO DAILY MAIL SALES***](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-051.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Kim Kardashian, husband Kanye West and baby North West depart from Los Angeles International Airport ***NO DAILY MAIL SALES**** Kim Kardashian, husband Kanye West and baby North West depart from Los Angeles International Airport ***NO DAILY MAIL SALES****](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-061.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Kim Kardashian takes baby North West on late night flight from LAX Airport Kim Kardashian takes baby North West on late night flight from LAX Airport](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-071.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Kim Kardashian kisses her cute 14-month-old daughter, North West as they make their way through Burbank Airport. The "Keeping up with the Kardashians" star was seen wearing heels and tight jeans showing off her famous butt. Kim Kardashian kisses her cute 14-month-old daughter, North West as they make their way through Burbank Airport. The "Keeping up with the Kardashians" star was seen wearing heels and tight jeans showing off her famous butt.](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-081.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian and her baby North West arrive at the 'Givenchy' store in Paris Kourtney Kardashian, Kim Kardashian and her baby North West arrive at the 'Givenchy' store in Paris](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-091.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
![Kim Kardashian holds baby North West while wearing a fur coat NYC Kim Kardashian holds baby North West while wearing a fur coat NYC](https://api.time.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/north-west-101.jpg?quality=75&w=2400)
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