Bullying can be a life-or-death issue. LGBT bullying commanded national attention when several gay teens committed suicide. Bullying can be stopped. Let's look at some successful people who struggled with, and overcame, physical and verbal bullying.
When vocal wonder Christina Aguilera was trying to make it big, her classmates were making her life miserable.
From slashing her tires to giving her the cold shoulder, bullying made Aguilera's school life difficult. Says the singer, "It was hard for me to relate to other kids.
For "American Idol" runner-up Clay Aiken mass popularity is a new experience. Aiken's life at junior high school was rough. He now speaks out to end bullying and encourages inclusion across the nation.
Princess Aiko – whose name means "one who loves others" – , the 8-year-old daughter of Japanese Crown Prince Naruhito and Crown Princess Masako, was reportedly too scared to attend school for several days. When she returned, she skipped many classes and was accompanied by a personal guard.
At the tender age of 13, Christian Bale earned the leading role in "Empire of the Sun." Though he found fame early on, he was constantly beaten at school.Christian Bale is a Hollywood star, who at the age of 13 starred in “Empire of the Sun.” He was instantly bullied after that. He says, “It was not a great time. I was a victim of bullying and had other kids kicking and punching me every day.”
Model and TV personality Tyra Banks described herself as a bully in elementary school, being cliquey and making "unpopular" children leave her group of friends. But when Banks became a teenager, she found herself a victim of taunts and teasing.
The lead singer and songwriter of Linkin Park, Chester Bennington had a rough time growing up. His parents divorced when he was 11, and he turned to cocaine and methamphetamine, working at Burger King to support his addictions. Bennington's school life was equally bleak as he endured frequent physical assaults.
President Bill Clinton ended his second presidential term with record approval ratings. Yet he described himself as an unpopular schoolboy in Arkansas, vividly recalling a story of being slugged by a 6-foot-6-inch boy at a local YMCA dance.
Golden Globe winner Chris Colfer's "Glee" character is routinely bullied and "slushied" by his high school peers. Many fans were sad to learn that when playing the role of a bullied teen, Colfer had plenty of personal experiences to draw upon. Gay Glee star Chris Colfer was targeted by bullies at school over his sexuality.
The actor, who plays fashionista Kurt Hummel in the hit show, admits his camp and quirky persona led to teasing by his classmates. Since he shot to fame, his former tormentors have tried to befriend him - but the actor is adamant he'll never forget their mean behavior.
He says, "Absolutely, yeah (I was bullied). I was teased every day, mainly because of my voice. They said I sounded like a chipmunk! Now everyone likes to remind me how they used to be my best friend, but I have a very good memory - that wasn't always the case."
Tom Cruise cites the childhood stigma of his dyslexia diagnosis as a contributing factor to his conversion to Scientology. Cruise also dealt with an abusive father, described as "the merchant of chaos," and dozens of school switches, often being targeted for physical abuse by bullies at each new school.
Limp Bizkit front man Fred Durst said one of the band's hiatuses was due to his concern that their music was fueling bullying.
British adventurer Ranulph Fiennes has been atop Mount Everest, journeyed to the North and South poles, completed seven marathons in seven days on seven continents just four months after suffering a major heart attack, and even performed a self-amputation. Yet he hasn't forgotten his years of being bullied at a famous British boarding school, saying none of his physical challenges ever hurt as much as bullies' taunts.
Many people might be surprised that cool and composed Tim Gunn, host of "Project Runway" and "Tim Gunn's Guide to Style" and a professor at a prestigious design school, was bullied so badly that he tried to kill himself when he was 17.
President Barack Obama graduated from prestigious undergraduate and law school programs, he has a beautiful family and has written best-selling books. Yet as an ambitious young man, he was often bullied by classmates.
Michael Phelps won the most gold medals at the 2004 Athens Olympics and the 2008 Beijing Olympics and set 39 world records. His coaches describe him as a motivation machine, but a teacher once told his mother that he wasn't gifted and would never be able to focus on anything. In addition to fighting these perceptions, Phelps had to struggle with the emotional trauma of being bullied.
Barbados native Rihanna had a rough childhood with a father addicted to alcohol and drugs, but since moving to the U.S. when she was 16, she has sold more than 20 million albums and 60 million singles. Despite her talent, Rihanna faced discrimination-based bullying in elementary school.Gorgeous singer Rihanna has revealed that she suffered from discrimination because of her skin colour all throughout her childhood.
Actor and comedian Chris Rock channeled his school-day bullying into the critically acclaimed "Everybody Hates Chris." Chris Rock felt isolated at school and was routinely verbally and physically abused. When Rock went public with his past hurts, an elementary school teacher wrote him an apology letter for his less-than-stellar role in Rock's life.
British Olympic javelin thrower Tessa Sanderson competed in every summer Olympics from 1976-1996 and won Olympic gold for the javelin in 1984. Yet Sanderson was haunted by horrible bullying throughout her childhood.
"Twilight," ''New Moon" and " Eclipse" star Kristen Stewart has massive blockbusters on her résumé. She got her big break starring alongside Jodie Foster in "Panic Room" when she was only 12. While Stewart displayed poise and confidence behind the camera and during interviews, she never managed to connect with her classmates. To avoid her peers, Stewart began taking correspondence courses to get her degree.Kristen Stewart may be popular and beautiful now but she was bullied in high school. She states, “I’m glad I could do those films and I was glad to leave school. I couldn’t relate to kids my own age. They are mean and don’t give you any chance.”
The 20 year-old, who plays Bella Swan in the Twilight Saga, admitted she was picked on after landing film roles at a young age.
She said to UK newspaper Daily Mirror: "I was happy to leave school at 14 and study on set, because it took a load of work off my shoulders. The fame and the pressure was taken off because they had been failing me in school.
Heartthrob Justin Timberlake is the definition of cool and sexy – but in school he was tormented for being different.
Prince Harry of Wales eschewed university to enlist in the military, spending months fighting in Afghanistan. One might think his military experience would have made him an unlikely target for bullying, but the prince has, at times, sought counseling for his emotional trauma.
Stunning Academy Award winner Kate Winslet started acting at school when she was 11. As the daughter of "jobbing actors," money was sometimes tight. In addition to financial stress, Winslet's classmates teased her about her looks.Kate Winslet has given her first post-Oscar magazine interview to Marie Claire-UK, and she’s still trying to convince us that she’s one of us. Not with that lovely skin, Winslet. Kate says that she was bullied for being chubby when she was a kid, and that those weight/body image issues have carried into her adult life. Kate doesn’t see her herself as any kid of great, sexy beauty. She states, “I’m glad I could do those films and I was glad to leave school. I couldn’t relate to kids my own age. They are mean and don’t give you any chance.”
