Five celebs who have called out cyberbullying

They're using their platforms to stand up for kindness.
February 26, 2020 4:53 p.m. EST
February 26, 2020 5:37 p.m. EST
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On days like today, we're reminded more than ever that celebrities are people with their own struggles, challenges and hardships—including (and especially) cyberbullying. Thankfully, they also have significant power to call it out, which is why it means so much when they do. If you've got Lizzo in your corner blasting the bullies, it certainly helps.It's Anti-Bullying Day AKA Pink Shirt Day in Canada and in honour of the occasion, we're celebrating five celebs who have used their platforms to call out cyberbullying online. Some have been at it for years—we see you, Selena and Demi—and others are new on the scene and already making positive changes. Whatever the case, we appreciate any and all messages that can work to make people feel seen and backed-up in their fight against that nasty thing called bullying.

Selena Gomez

In addition to taking social media breaks regularly for her own mental health, Selena has been making it a priority to speak out against bullying online, even to the point of addressing specific cases. Back in 2013, she even took a screenshot and re-posted a comment she made defending one of her fans as a message to all Selenators that she's not kidding around when it comes to building a supportive and bully-free community for music-lovers.
 
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Lizzo

Being a human online is usually enough to bring out the haters, but Lizzo's identity as a woman of colour in the spotlight who is proud of her body, means she's often subjected to some unfathomable remarks. She can't (and shouldn't feel obligated to) respond to all of them, but last year, she took down one criticism in particular that diminished her colossal musical success to "an obesity epidemic in America." Lizzo pointed out that her popularity is actually far more likely due to her good songs, high-energy performances, loving personality and various other talents. Hmm, we're feeling good as hell about that answer.

Demi Lovato

Like Selena, Demi has been fighting against bullying for years and it's no wonder—she's been a victim herself since childhood. In her 2017 YouTube documentary, Simply Complicated, Demi opened up about the traumatic bullying she experienced at school including classmates who petitioned for her to commit suicide, prompting her to leave school. She said at the time that she hoped the main takeaway for fans would be "No matter what they go through, no matter how hard their struggle is, it’s going to be OK."[video_embed id='1907442']RELATED: Why celebs are sending their love to this young Australian boy[/video_embed]In 2011, Demi even wrote an open letter in Seventeen to her fans to call out cyberbullying specifically. She got to the root of the issue, pointing out that the internet makes sending hate easier than ever."Sitting behind a computer gives people a sense of anonymity, but everyone needs to realize that words—even the ones they write online—have a strong power to hurt people," she said. "It's not okay to bully anyone—ever. I hope to encourage everyone to take a stand and put a stop to this horrible epidemic."

Jameela Jamil

What's been going on with Jameela Jamil in the past couple weeks has made it clearer than ever that celebs see when you criticize them and feel the effects as any person would. After questions emerged about the truth behind her various ailments, injuries, past professions and experiences were callously shared by thousands online, she addressed the vitriol by pointing out that the heated online reaction amounted to bullying."I'm tired of the bullying. The taunting over my mental and physical health," she wrote on Twitter. "I've experienced that my whole life and it's traumatizing and isolating." She also admitted that the whole situation had been triggering "to the point of near death" for her—demonstrating the very real effect online words can have on people and why it's important to take a stand and choose kindness.

Taylor Swift

Taylor is another famous lady who's received some unspeakable internet hate and she revealed the way she's learned to deal with it in her 30th birthday Elle essay last year."I learned that disarming someone’s petty bullying can be as simple as learning to laugh," she wrote. "I’ve come to see that bullies want to be feared and taken seriously.""It would be nice if we could get an apology from people who bully us," she continued. "But maybe all I’ll ever get is the satisfaction of knowing I could survive it, and thrive in spite of it."
 
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