Ever wonder how bullying affects the life of a child? Or even backhanded comments? Well, it took a toll on singer Sam Smith when he was younger.
In an interview for Jameela Jamil’s podcast, I Weigh, Sam shared that when he was 12 years old, he had a liposuction on his chest. He gained weight on his chest because of excess estrogen and was bullied for having “breasts” or “man boobs.” Boys in the playground would grab his chests which he described as “terrible” and “f*cked up.”
“At the time, I think I was very happy about it,” said Sam as he recalled the time he went under surgery. “It didn’t really change anything. I think I put the weight back on in two weeks because I haven’t figured out my relationship with food, so it didn’t really change anything. But being 12 years old and having liposuction on your chest is quite a big deal.”
Sam struggled not just with how he viewed his body, but also had a distorted understanding on what it takes to be a man. “I had breasts when I was 11 years old,” he stressed. “I have a very feminine body. I am feminine in many, many ways and I’ve always resented that. I’ve almost been like, ‘No, that’s not manly, that’s not this, you’ve got to work out, you’ve got to lost weight, because that’s what men do.”
Now, Sam started with therapy and is more vocal about body positivity for men. And quite frankly, we need more men like him.
[NYLON]
Photo courtesy of Sam Smith’s Instagram account
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