Bodywatch

R&B Singer Jill Scott Gains 30 lbs. for Movie Roles

By Jeffrey Slonim

Originally posted Wednesday October 10, 2007 02:00 PM EDT

Jill Scott Photo by: Joe Kohen / WireImage

Janet Jackson, who recently dropped 60 lbs. and told PEOPLE she's writing a book about losing weight, showed off her slender new figure (in a backless Dolce & Gabbana dress) Tuesday night at the New York premiere of Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?.

But her costar, R&B singer Jill Scott, wore an oversized coat, and told PEOPLE she's gained weight – 30 lbs. to be exact – for the Tyler Perry movie and another new film she's working on.

"I gained 30 for this role," she said. "I wore a fat suit, and if my face didn't match the suit, then it wouldn't be believable. And then I got the lead role in Anthony Minghella's The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency, and I was meant to gain weight for that, as well."

So, how is she shedding the pounds afterward? "I'm taking walks," she says. "I don't put a lot of stress on myself to lose weight. But I will, because I didn't want to gain this weight in the first place."