Before becoming an eye-popping supermodel Naomi Campbell was teased and bullied when she was a schoolgirl for her looks and compared to Popeye character Olive Oyl
Naomi Campbell has said she was picked on by school bullies who teased her about her looks.
The supermodel, 54, has been hailed as one of the most beautiful women in the world for decades. But she admitted: “I wasn’t at ease with myself because I was very skinny and quite tall for my age. And they used to call me Olive Oyl. And, you know, kids call each other names. My neck’s quite long, so I used to try to shrug my neck down so it wouldn’t be so long. I felt awkward.”
The South Londoner told the Cambon podcast it was dance that helped her embrace her frame and shine in front of the fashion photographers. She explained: “I just would pose the movements and the poses that I did for dance, and that got me through. And creativity too. It’s something that I loved and yeah, that will never change with me. I feel that’s something that’s really part of my DNA.
“My mother gave me a few pointers in the hallway of our home when I was a teenager and I remember even the music we were walking to was Lionel Richie and to listen to the rhythm.” This summer, Naomi is celebrating 40 years in the industry with a special V&A exhibition.
And looking back, she admitted she was never shy to tackle discrimination. Naomi said: “I had a voice and I would speak out if there was something that was unfair and not just. Especially if I was working the same hours, doing the same job, but not being paid the same, I will speak about this.”
