Ugly Duckling Syndrome: 5 Celebrities Who Overcame Being Bullied for Their Looks

Julia Roberts

It's hard to imagine that Julia Roberts was constantly bullied and made fun of in school because of her big mouth, long, skinny legs and glasses. She says she was described as having the smile of a horse and the legs of a grasshopper and never thought of herself as beautiful, seeing how kids called her a frog.

Over time, though, Julia started participating in beauty pageants to get over her inhibitions and eventually became an actress.

Irina Shayk

Irina says that in school, boys didn't like her, and she was called all sorts of names because she was tall and very thin, as well as because of her dark complexion and big lips. Last year, a woman from Irina's hometown of Yemanzhelinsk went on Twitter to talk about the model's bullying at home, saying that kids teased her because of her looks and bad clothes. Fortunately, Irina escaped the toxic environment and never lost faith in herself.

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley

Rosie didn't like going to school because she was constantly bullied, especially about her very big lips, and because she had very small breasts. It's hard to believe, seeing how she has recently been voted the sexiest woman on Earth. Kids only stopped bullying her after she signed her first modelling contract at 17.

Liv Tyler

Lyv was a chubby, round-faced kid. She was also taller than her classmates. This naturally made her the target of bullying. She was called a bunch of offensive names and developed a host of issues. Fortunately, Lyv didn't give up and went after her dream, shedding the extra pounds in the process.

Victoria Beckham

Regarded as one of the most stylish women in the world today, David Beckham's beautiful wife and mother of four adorable children was super shy as a kid. She struggled with obesity, had bad skin and never smiled, believing that her teeth looked ugly. Today all the school bullying is in the past, but Victoria still hardly ever smiles in photos.