'80s pop star Tiffany targeted by body-shamers after breaking silence on secret health battle that led to weight gain

She was one of the biggest stars of the '80s thanks to her chart-topping hit I Think We're Alone Now. 

And Tiffany Darwish is still going strong almost four decades after shooting to fame as a teen pop idol. 

The singer, now 54, recently hit the stage at the Garden Amphitheatre in California to perform all of her classic hits for a huge crowd of adoring fans. 

She looked just as confident as ever in an oversized black shirt, which she wore over a figure-hugging bedazzled leotard.

The former Playboy cover girl completed the edgy look with fishnet stockings and chunky ankle boots. 

Tiffany proved that she still knew all her famous moves as she busted out some of the signature choreography from her old music videos.

A clip of the concert went viral on social media, racking up over three million views, which unfortunately led to some cruel comments from trolls who pointed out that the songstress looked much curvier than usual.   

Thankfully, many of Tiffany's diehard fans were down to defend her from the cruel body-shamers.

'She is beautiful, still sounds great and is having fun! Nobody looks like they did in Playboy 30 years ago,' argued one admirer. 

'So many mean comments. Tiffany is awesome!' added another. 

'She looks happy, sounds good and is having a blast! YES older women are allowed to exist and thrive. We dont give a f**k if you like what you see or not, we are not for you!' argued a third.

Another wrote, 'At least she didn't take Ozempic to age her and make her skin sag. She's beautiful, having fun, and reminds me of my teen years.'

The mom-of-one has been open about her weight gain, previously blaming long covid as the reason behind her ongoing health issues.

'I have fluctuated with my weight quite a bit in the last couple of years because of long Covid and I'm learning to deal with that,' she explained to The Mirror. 

'Some days I just battle feeling well enough to go and work out, which is not the norm for me.'

The singer said that constantly being on tour and travelling has also 'aggravated' her symptoms, leading to flare-ups and causing her to 'retain water'.  

She's also admitted that dealing with body-shaming trolls on the internet has been a struggle at times. 

'I have a limit and it gives me great pleasure to delete them. Goodbye. Why bother to be so toxic?' she said. 

Tiffany also opened up about her weight issues in an interview with The Guardian last year.

'I’m probably more body-conscious now than I was back then. My weight yo-yos a lot, and my lifestyle doesn’t make it any better – I am a huge foodie,' she said.

'Over the years I’ve tried everything and it’s not sustainable, so I am trying to come to terms with the fact that it’s not about size, it’s about how you feel.' 

Daily Mail has contacted Tiffany for comment. 

The Norwalk-born singer shot to fame in 1987 with her cover of the '60s hit I Think We're Alone Now.

The song topped the Hot 100 along with Tiffany's self-titled debut album, making her the youngest female artist to achieve a No. 1 album. 

She hit No. 1 again with her second single Could've Been, but her sophomore album, Hold an Old Friend's Hand, failed to reach the heights of her debut. 

Tiffany disappeared for most of the '90s, but was able to stage a comeback in the 2000s after posing for Playboy magazine and starring in a number of reality shows and low budget films.