12 Celebs Who Admit They've Bullied Other People
04/20/2024 08:00 AM
From Tina Fey to Vanessa Hudgens, these stars have revealed they were actually the instigators and did the bullying -- and it's something they've come to deeply regret.
Bullying is unfortunately an incredibly common problem for middle school and high school students -- and it's an issue that has been going on for decades. Many celebrities have even spoken out about their experience being bullied in the hopes of using their platform to change the way young people treat one another.
Although these stars have been candid about how poorly they were treated in the past, it turns out that some celebs were actually bullies themselves. Looking back on their younger years, a few celebrities have admitted that they were actually the instigators and did the bullying -- and it's something they've come to deeply regret.
Read on to find out why these celebs say they were bullies…
1. Tina Fey
Tina Fey admits that when she was growing up, she acted like a bully towards some of her classmates. Looking back, she says she realizes that her actions were a coping mechanism -- but it doesn't excuse what she did.
"I was [a bully], I admit it openly," she told Net-a-Porter's The Edit. "That was a disease that had to be conquered. It's another coping mechanism. It's a bad coping mechanism, but when you feel less than...in your mind it's a way of leveling the playing field. Though of course, it's not. Saying something terrible about someone else does not actually level the playing field."
2. Demi Lovato
Before Demi Lovato found success as a young actress, she went to a normal middle school where she says she was both bullied and a bully herself. At the time, she says she didn't realize she was doing things that contributed to bullying other people.
"There were things that I did in middle school that probably contributed to why girls treated me so poorly," Demi told Seventeen. "I didn't realize I was doing things that were also forms of bullying, like spreading rumors about people and gossiping. Gossip is essentially character assassination. When you spread rumors about someone, it's a way of demoralizing them."
Vanessa Hudgens admits there was a time in her life when she didn't treat people the way she should have. Reflecting on the situation, Vanessa says that back when she was dating Zac Efron, she found herself being mean to his fans.
"I went through a phase when I was really mean because I was so fed up," Vanessa told the New York Times. "Girls were running after him, and I was giving them death stares. Then I realized that's not what that's about. 'Spread the love, be a good person, they support you, be nice.'"
Chrissy Teigen faced major backlash after Courtney Stodden called her out for bullying them when they were just a teenager. In screenshots, Courtney shared that Chrissy had posted public tweets, wishing death upon them. After Chrissy saw the resurfaced tweets that were from a decade ago, she posted an apology.
"Not a lot of people are lucky enough to be held accountable for all their past bulls--- in front of the entire world. I'm mortified and sad at who I used to be. I was an insecure, attention seeking troll. I am ashamed and completely embarrassed at my behavior but that is nothing compared to how I made Courtney feel," Chrissy wrote.
She continued, "I have worked so hard to give you guys joy and be beloved and the feeling of letting you down is nearly unbearable, truly. These were not my only mistakes and surely won't be my last as hard as I try but god I will try!! … I'm so sorry, Courtney. I hope you can heal now knowing how deeply sorry I am."
5. Tyra Banks
Tyra Banks says that when she was in elementary school, she was a bully to some of her classmates. She explained that it all began because she was experiencing bullying at home, with her brother degrading her and calling her names.
"People bully because they want their power back. People bully because they feel powerless, and to get the power, you have to take it from somebody else and they take it from the easy target," Tyra told CNN. "I started as a bully. The reason I was a bully was my brother used to say I was stupid. 'You're stupid, you're dumb, you're this, you're that.' So here I am at home, getting bullied. So what do I do at school? I got my power back."
Gabrielle Union admits she used to be a mean person and would often gossip about other people. But after her friend AJ confronted her about her actions, she says she changed how she treated other people. Gabrielle later shared that she was able to move from being a "mean, vindictive, hateful person who couldn't be happy for other people" to "truly being supportive" of others.
"Really, it came down to, we were in a room, we were at a party, and I was holding court...And I was trashing somebody, you know, just ripping them to shreds head to toe. And AJ pulls me aside, and she says, 'Okay, now how did your life change? Did you get the guy? Did you get the job? Is your house any bigger? Did money, you know, just magically get put in your pocket? What positive happened in your life after you just tore that woman down? ...You gained nothing,'" Gabrielle said on Oprah's Next Chapter.
7. Lance Bass
Before Lance Bass was completely comfortable with himself, he says he used to inadvertently bully other people as a kid. Lance explained that although he was just trying to fit in, he was taking part in the bullying of his classmates.
"When you're 13, 14, you just go along with what the other people are doing. You just want to fit in. You want to make sure that your friends like you. So yeah, you're going to crack jokes, you're going to laugh along with it. And when you're a teenager, you're not really thinking, 'Oh, I'm being a bully by laughing along with it.' … But you're also a bully by condoning the behavior and making the jokes along with them," Lance said onLarry King Live.
8. Ricky Martin
Back when he was a teenager, Ricky Martin admits he was "ashamed" of who he was and took out his anger on other people. He says he actually bullied people that he knew were gay in order to hide his true identity.
"When you're told you're wrong by everyone, from society, from your faith -- my self-esteem was crushed. I took my anger out on those around me. I look back now and realize I would bully people who I knew were gay. I internalized homophobia. To realize that was confronting to me. I wanted to get away from that," Ricky shared with GQ Australia.
9. Jake Paul
As Jake Paul rose to fame on social media, he became a polarizing figure, with many people not appreciating his online actions. Reflecting on his early days on YouTube, Jake says he realized being an influencer "is highly conducive to bully-like behavior of which [he's] witnessed, been subjected to, and been the instigator of."
"The most critical and cathartic lesson I've learned, and painfully come to grips with, is the fact that I've been the bully and that's something I struggle with and drives me to be better every day as a human, brother, son, partner, businessman and a boxer," Jake wrote in an essay for Daily Mail.
He continued, "Bullying and negativity is contagious - hurt people, hurt people. I am a perfect example of this. I've been bullied, and I have been a bully … Frankly, being a bully and attacking others was easier than letting people see how much their words and opinions affected me. I justified my own actions as 'content'; however, sometimes it ventured into different territory I'm not proud of upon reflection."
10. Gabourey Sidibe
During Gabourey Sidibe's childhood, she says she was a bully and also got bullied herself. Looking back, Gabourey explained that she grew up in a tough neighborhood and she sometimes had to turn to bullying to defend herself.
"I grew up in tougher neighborhoods, and I was bullied, but there have been times when I was a bully in order to defend myself. I might have been a little overzealous sometimes, and I've been a bully. I think those two people -- the bullied and the bully -- live in all of us," Gabourey shared with Essence.
11. Fat Joe
Back when Fat Joe was in school, he says he got beat up every day for no reason -- until he turned the tables on them. He explained that when his best friend ended up joining the bullies, Joe knew he had to stand up for himself.
"One day the bullies catch me and they asked him, 'Yo why you with this guy?' He says, 'Well, you know, Joey's my best friend.' They said, 'If you don't beat him up with us, we're going to beat you up every day.' And in an instant he just started beating me up with them. That was one of the darkest days of my life. So traumatic, I cried and I kept saying, 'Anybody ever look at me, anybody ever talk to me, I'm gonna give it to him," he told NPR.
He added, "And it's sad because of the environment I turned into the worst bully in the world and I did some horrible things to good and bad people that I'm not proud of."
12. Patrick Stewart
Patrick Stewart was a bully in his childhood and admits that he's ashamed of what he did when he was younger. Looking back, Patrick says that he and a group of other boys would hurt a classmate who had a limb difference.
"I felt that in some way I had to make myself feel important and the only way that I could do that was to control other children," he shared during a press conference.
