Khloe Kardashian breaks silence after trying to get unedited picture removed from social media

Watch: Khloe Kardashian responds to unfiltered photo controversy

Khloe Kardashian has said the pressure to be perfect has been “too much to bear”, as she defended herself for trying to get an unedited picture removed from social media.

The US reality star, 36, came under fire this week after it emerged that she and her team were trying to have a picture of her in a leopard-print bikini taken down.

The unfiltered snap had been taken at a family event and was apparently shared to social media by accident.

Read more: Khloe Kardashian hides Instagram comments after backlash over airbrushed selfie

The attempt to remove the snap saw it being shared even more and Kardashian's move drew criticism.

However, the star has now defended herself in a lengthy post on Instagram, saying she has always struggled with her body image and that she has every right to ask that a picture she doesn't consider flattering isn't shared.

She also stood up for her right to edit her pictures if she wants to.

Sharing a series of pictures and video of her body, Kardashian said: “Hey guys, this is me and my body unretouched and unfiltered.

"The photo that was posted this week was beautiful.

"But as someone who has struggled with body image her whole life, when someone takes a photo of you that isn't flattering and in bad lighting or doesn't capture your body the way it is after working so hard to get it to this point – and then shares it to the world – you should have every right to ask for it to not be shared, regardless of who you are."

The Keeping Up With The Kardashians star went on: "In truth the pressure, constant ridicule and judgment my entire life to be perfect and to meet other's standards of how I should look has been too much to bear.

"'Khloe is the fat sister.' 'Khloe is the ugly sister.' 'Her dad must not be her real dad because she looks so different.' 'The only way she could have lost that weight must have been from surgery.'

"Should I go on?"

Watch: Kardashians threaten legal action after Khloe's unedited bikini pic goes viral

The star said that over the years “every single flaw and imperfection has been micro-analysed and made fun of” and that trying to live up to the “impossible standards that the public have all set for me” had been “almost unbearable”.

Kardashian said the incident had been an example of how she had been conditioned to feel that “I am not beautiful enough just being me”.

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She also admitted that she loves a good filter and "an edit here and there", adding: "My body, my image and how I choose to look and what I want to share is my choice.”