Lady Gaga was shaped by food allergy bullies

Published: September 29, 2020

The celebrity world seems a like an ideal place where untouchable stars are applauded and admired for their talents. It’s hard to imagine any film, music or TV icon being the victim of bullying, but it appears that many famous faces have been on the receiving end of abuse by “insecure” bullies at one time or another.

Lady Gaga spoke of her torrid time in high school during an interview on the Ellen Degeneres show. On how it shaped her outlook on life she said, “I want to create a space for my fans where they can feel free, and they can celebrate. I didn’t fit in at high school, I wanted to be like Boy George and I felt like a freak. So I like to create this atmosphere for my fans where they feel like they have a freak in me to hang out with, and they don’t feel alone. It took a long time for me to be OK with myself. But I want my fans to know that it is OK. Sometimes in life you don’t always feel like a winner, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a winner.”

Lady Gaga’s words will strike a chord in many young people who suffer at the hands of bullies while in school. The reasons for bullying generally seem unclear to start with but according to a a new study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology,  30% of children with food allergies are being bullied and teased.

Recent victims of easy-target bullying include a fifth grade boy who had a granola bar waved in his face while sat at a “peanut free” table, and a student who had peanut butter smeared on his forehead when it was discovered he had a nut allergy.

The harassment in some cases doesn’t just stem from other children, as 20% of reported cases said they were victimized by school staff as well.

Bullying is enough to deal with on its own but when the victim has the added risk of potentially fatal allergies the danger increases exponentially. Food allergies affect around 3 million US children and anti-bullying lobbyists are asking for allergies to be included in programs and campaigns within schools.

Other celebrities who endured school bullies are Tom Cruise, Kate Winslett, Christian Bale and Megan Fox.

Read our complete coverage of Lady Gaga.

Images: PR Photos

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Published September 29, 2020 by Lee in Celebrities, Health News
Tags: Lady Gaga