AceShowbiz -

Melissa McCarthy spoke out for the first time in regards to offensive comment about her plus-sized body launched by New York Observer's critic, Rex Reed. McCarthy, whose comedy movie with Sandra Bullock "The Heat" will hit U.S. theaters on June 28, told The New York Times in a recent interview that her first reaction to Reed's insulting comment was, "Really? Why would someone O.K. that?"

McCarthy, however, did not let the negativity affect her. "I felt really bad for someone who is swimming in so much hate," McCarthy said in the interview. "I just thought, that's someone who's in a really bad spot, and I am in such a happy spot. I laugh my head off every day with my husband and my kids who are mooning me and singing me songs," she added.

The "Bridesmaids" star also said that Reed's harsh comment might have "crushed" her if she was in her 20s, suggesting that she was worried young girls would be heavily affected by the weight jab. "[Articles like Reed's] just add to all those younger girls, that are not in a place in their life where they can say, 'That doesn't reflect on me,' " she explained. "That makes it more true. It means you don't actually look good enough."

Following the release of "Identity Thief" back in February, Reed's review of the movie garnered people's attention for calling Oscar-nominated McCarthy "cacophonous, tractor-sized," in addition to "hippo." Reed also described the mother of two as "a gimmick comedian who has devoted her short career to being obese and obnoxious with equal success."

Many readers fired back at Reed, calling his choice of words were "nasty" and "sexist." Paul Feig, the director of "Bridesmaids", even told Reed "to go f**k himself." New York Observer's editor Ken Kurson, however, defended the critic. "Rex Reed is a national treasure. He has a right to his opinion and The New York Observer's smart, passionate readers have a right to disagree with his opinion," he said.