A young woman who looks just like Taylor Swift has won the hearts of thousands online after standing up to cyber bullies who trolled her for being ‘fatter’ than the pop star.

Keitra Jane, 21, of Salt Lake City, Utah, has been constantly mistaken for the Shake It Off singer for years. People take photos of her while they think she isn’t looking and people have even mistaken her cat Marissa Cooper for Taylor’s cat Meredith.

But it wasn’t until she was invited to star in a music video that she learned that being a lookalike wasn’t all lighthearted fun and photos.

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Uncanny: Keitra Jane (pictured), 21, of Salt Lake City, Utah, has become known online for her close resemblance to pop star Taylor Swift, which has also led to her being targeted by bullies

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Doppelganger: Keitra is constantly mistaken for 26-year-old Taylor (pictured) and frequently catches people trying to take photos of her when she isn’t looking

The downside: After starring in a video for singer Alex Boye’s song African Hipster, Keitra received hurtful comments about her weight

Earlier this month, Keitra starred in the video for singer Alex Boye’s African Hipster – dancing, taking selfies and generally showing off the startling likeness she bears to the 26-year-old superstar.

But once the video was online, several commenters took notice of the slight differences between her and Taylor’s figures, and made their observations known.

‘My friends kept sending me photos of these comments that would say just inappropriate things like “Taylor with a bigger rack/boobs,”‘ Keitra told Seventeen.com. ‘One comment caught my eye. It said “a fatter Taylor Swift.”‘

The comment hit Keitra particularly hard as, she told the publication, she suffers from body dysmorphia and only a few years earlier had been 30 pounds lighter thanks to bulimia and anorexia – something she had learned to overcome with the help of loved ones.

‘I’ve always been taller than most of my peers but being called fat just hurt,’ she said.

She could have just left the comment and moved on, but as someone that had worked to recover from negative body image problems, Keitra decided to call out the person who left the cruel taunt – first by commenting on it directly with a terse ‘Thanks for the feedback’ so the person recognized that he was talking to a real person.

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Hurt: Keitra (right) said that the comments on the video remarked on her slightly curvier figure in comparison to Taylor, but ‘one comment caught my eye,’ she said. ‘It said “a fatter Taylor Swift”‘

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A long road: Keitra had previously battled both bulimia and anorexia and used to be 30 pounds lighter before working to overcome her eating disorders

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Hard to hear: With her struggles with body dysmorphia in mind, Keitra was particularly hurt by the comment

Taylor for a day: The video saw Keitra dance and pose for selfies as she played the star

On her Instagram page, the University of Utah student explained how comments such as that can be a direct contributor to eating disorders.

‘People need to understand that nothing on the internet goes unnoticed, and when you publicize your comments or suggestions you aren’t just writing on a wall, you’re writing to a real person,’ she said.

‘This is just one of millions of hurtful comments that are given to REAL people every day. This isn’t a sympathy post, this is information. You need to know that words have power to do harm or promote positivity. Use your power for good!’

The positive response she received was immediate.

‘I’m glad you are taking this the right way! So many people fall victim to a-holes like that commenter and use it to spiral downwards!’ wrote one grateful fan. ‘Thank you for being you and bringing attention to this is a positive way.’

Spot the difference? In some of Keitra’s images (right), she looks nearly identical to the Into the Woods superstar (left)

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Hitting back: Instead of ignoring the insult, Keitra instead decided to share the comment on her Instagram page, and explain how words such as those can lead to eating disorders

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Passing it on: She told her followers to keep in mind that ‘when you publicize your comments or suggestions you aren’t just writing on a wall, you’re writing to a real person’

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Staying grounded: In a Q&A posted to her YouTube page on Sunday, the student told fans that she finds ‘so much joy every single day in just being myself’

Another added: ‘I also have struggled with disorders and it is encouraging when people slam the bullies.’

In a follow up to her story, Keitra taped a Q&A on her YouTube channel, where she revealed that she has yet to hear from Taylor, but added: ‘If you’re watching, call me!’

She also discussed how she manages to keep her own identity despite being told daily that she looks like someone else, explaining that she recovered from her body dysmorphia ‘when I finally realized that it wasn’t about how fat or skinny I was or what I looked like at all’ and began focusing on things she was skilled at such as playing piano and painting.

Eventually, she explained, she ‘formed a much stronger sense of self’ before she began being constantly associated with the huge star.

‘I find so much joy every single day in just being myself. In being me,’ she said. ‘And I don’t think that’s something I could ever have if I depended on looking like somebody else.’