Pop singer Lady Gaga recently launched an organization aiming to challenge bullying which is very rampant among schools. Born This Way Foundation was launched at the Harvard University together with Oprah Winfrey, Deepak Chopra and Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius.
Lady Gaga, herself a victim of bullying in high school, hoped that the foundation can "reach youth and create a new culture of kindness, bravery, acceptance and empowerment". She shared how she didn't fit in back in high school, and was even thrown in a trash can.
Lady Gaga was not the only celebrity who experienced bullying in school. Here are 10 more famous people who were bullied as students but were able to grow out of the scars and make something out of themselves.
1. Duchess Kate of Cambridge.
When Duchess Kate (a.k.a. Kate Middleton) was a school girl, a bunch of girls were mean to her. They stole her books and called her names. No one liked to sit beside her during lunch breaks. Well, those mean girls can eat their hearts out now.
2. Tom Cruise.
As a child, Tom was having a hard time with reading and writing because of dyslexia. Not only that, he had to deal with mean classmates, so as his own father, who beat him up. This motivated him to learn to fight back and become a Scientologist.
3. Christian Bale.
At the age of 13, he did "Empire of the Sun" which gained him haters in school. He got kicked and punched everyday. As what he once mentioned, "It was an early lesson in how making a film can set you apart. If you don't want to live with the consequences then don't make the film. But that didn't help at the time. I was confused about other people's reactions to me, both good and bad. It can mess anyone up." Thankfully, he pursued his passion, and got him to a better place now.
4. Demi Lovato.
She painfully endured bullying during her 7th grade, which made her want to be home-schooled. It might have led to her emotional problems later on. But on the bright side, Demi's slowly getting back into shape.
5.Taylor Swift.
On her bullying experience: She encountered her former bullies in junior high when she got famous. "They showed up, wearing my T-shirts and asking me to sign their CDs," she said. "It was bittersweet, because it made me realize that they didn't remember being mean to me and that I needed to forget about it too … Really, if I hadn't come home from school miserable every day, maybe I wouldn't have been so motivated to write songs. I should probably thank them!"
6. Pierce Brosnan.
The James Bond star from Ireland moved to London to study at Elliott Comprehensive School when he was 11. His accent stood out among his British classmates, making him the object of mockery and ridicule. He was nicknamed "Irish". Add to that, he was also shy. He trained himself to develop an English accent. "The important thing is, I survived the experience," he said.
7. Megan Fox.
Would you believe that the beautiful Megan Fox was harrassed in high school? She felt like as if high school would never end. Her advice to bullying victims: "You just have to remember the person picking on you had their own problems and their own issues. And you're going to be OK … usually bullies are the most insecure."
8. Mila Kunis.
The Black Swan actress used to come home from school crying because her classmates would make fun of her looks. She was short in stature and had large noticeable facial features. Looking back, she said, "I've learned it wasn't a bad thing to be picked on because when you're little is seems awful, like it's the end of the world. I grew into my face."
9. Kate Winslet.
She was called "Blubber" in school because of her chubby figure. People would tell her that she's pretty, but her figure gets in the way. With an Oscar trophy under her belt and with acting prowess, she's made a name for herself as a respected and beautiful actress.
10. Rihanna.
In Barbados, she had lighter skin color than everyone else, and she was tormented because of it.
It feels comforting to know that bullied kids aren't the only ones who go through that horrible ordeal. Even celebrities did, and as we can see now, the experience only made them stronger. This is a reminder for us to be kind always, and the mean things people do will get back at them one day.
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