Bullying made me stronger, says singer

22 July 2008 - 02:00
By unknown
THICK-SKINNED: Rihanna endured taunting at school.
THICK-SKINNED: Rihanna endured taunting at school.

Rihanna credits her success as a singer to childhood bullying, insisting her prejudiced peers prepared her for the entertainment industry by forcing her to develop a thick skin.

Rihanna credits her success as a singer to childhood bullying, insisting her prejudiced peers prepared her for the entertainment industry by forcing her to develop a thick skin.

The Barbados-born beauty experienced difficulty fitting in at school because her lighter complexion left her feeling like an outsider.

But she says the taunting she endured is what eventually drove her to seek out the limelight.

She says: "It [prejudice] made me angry. It made me want to fight in my younger years. Having lighter skin wasn't a problem in my household, but it was when I went to school - which really confused me at first.

"For the first six years of school, I would go home traumatised." - Wenn