If you watched Degrassi: The Next Generation, you know Miriam McDonald. She played the studious lead Emma Nelson for nine seasons between 2001 and 2010.

Che Rosales / Getty Images

Well, yesterday, a new trailer for the upcoming documentary Degrassi: Whatever It Takes was released, and unfortunately, many of the comments centered on how "unrecognizable" she looked instead of the actual content. You can see Miriam speak here at the 0:05 mark, right after Drake.

View this video on YouTube Degrassi / Via youtube.com

"Oh my god…. Emma…" read one comment. Another said in part, "what did Miriam do to her face."

Degrassi / Via youtube.com

"I was not ready," a third person wrote, as someone else said it looked like she got "A lot of plastic surgery."

Degrassi / Via youtube.com

Eventually, Miriam responded to the negative commentary on Instagram. Sharing a personal collection of photos of herself, she wrote, "Hey friends. I’ve been sitting with how to put this into words, so I'm just going to be honest. When I watched the documentary back, I didn't feel good about how I looked. About a month or two before filming (which was almost two years ago now), I had Botox and filler done. Looking back, I regret that choice."

Che Rosales / Getty Images

Miriam, 38, explained that the decision to get Botox and filler came after years of insecurities that began in her earlier years when her "awkward phases were captured for the world to see."

Degrassi / Via youtube.com

She said, "Like many people who try cosmetic treatments, I wasn't feeling 'perfect.' I saw little things I wanted to fix—lines when I frowned, under-eye hollowness, even wanting to try lip filler because 'everyone else was doing it.' But what I thought would help ended up leaving me looking less like myself."

Kevin Mazur / Getty Images

Still, she didn't think it was that noticeable — until she saw the reactions to her appearance online. "When I first saw the footage, I told myself, 'no one will even notice, Miriam, they’ll be focused on the story.' I was wrong."

Che Rosales / Getty Images

"Thankfully, Botox wears off and fillers dissolve over time," Miriam continued. "But interviews live forever online, and that version of me is now out there to stay."

George Pimentel / Getty Images

She went on to express her hurt and sadness for the comments she received. "I'd be lying if I said the comments don't sting," Miriam confessed. "I may have once been an actress, but I don't live in that world anymore. I don't have a thick Hollywood skin — I'm just a person. And the truth is, hearing critiques about how I look hurts just as much as it would hurt your sister, your daughter, or your friend."

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@miriamkatherine26 / Via Instagram: @miriamkatherine26

She added in the comments that she's "still learning" and said, "If my experience serves as a cautionary tale, then I'm glad to share it. Or, if it simply reminds someone that perfection isn't found in changing ourselves but in owning who we are—then it was worth writing this." She concluded the post by saying, "Thank you for hearing me, for the kindness so many of you have shown, and for reminding me what actually matters."

You can read Miriam's full remarks below.

@miriamkatherine26 / Via Instagram: @miriamkatherine26

@miriamkatherine26 / Via Instagram: @miriamkatherine26

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