Naomi Campbell given cruel cartoon nickname by her bullies while growing up
Tina Campbell
·1-min read
Naomi Campbell arriving at the V&A Summer Party (Aaron Chown/PA) (PA Wire)
Naomi Campbell has recalled being bullied over her looks growing up.
The supermodel, 54, has been hailed as one of the most beautiful women in the world and been an icon in the fashion industry for decades, however admits her looks attracted negative attention when she was younger.
Some nasty bullies even gave her the nickname Olive Oyl after cartoon character Popeye’s gangly girlfriend.
“I wasn’t at ease with myself because I was very skinny and quite tall for my age,” she began.
“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.”
Naomi Campbell says she was compared to cartoon character Olive Oyl (pictured)
The London-born personality - who is being celebrated for her 40 years in the industry with a special V&A exhibition this summer - went on to share that her passion for dancing was what eventually helped her to come out of her shell and embrace who she was.
“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,” the mum-of-two told the Cambon podcast.
“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.”
Supermodel Naomi Campbell - In pictures
Naomi Campbell presents a creation by designer Anthony Vaccarello as part of his Spring/Summer 2020 women's ready-to-wear collection show for fashion house Saint Laurent during Paris Fashion Week 2019 (Reuters)
Naomi Campbell catches a flight in a hazmat suit (@naomi)
South African President Nelson Mandela hugs British supermodel Naomi Campbell in front of American actress Mia Farrow, British model Kate Moss and model Christy Turlington at Genadendal, his Cape Town home (AFP/Getty Images)
British model Lily Cole, British model Karen Elson, British model Kate Moss and British model Naomi Campbell perform at the Olympic stadium during the closing ceremony of the 2012 London Olympic Games (AFP/Getty Images)
Naomi Campbell attends the Warner Music & Ciroc Brit Awards house party 2020 (Dave Benett)
Naomi Campbell walks the catwalk during the Tommy Hilfiger Fashion show 2020 (Lucy Young)
Naomi Campbell poses for photographers upon arrival at the British Fashion Awards 2019 (Invision/AP)
Naomi Campbell arrives at the wedding of Princess Eugenie of York and Mr. Jack Brooksbank at St. George's Chapel in 2018 (Getty Images)
Naomi Campbell walks the runway during the Louis Vuitton Menswear Fall/Winter 2018-2019 show as part of Paris Fashion Week (Getty Images)
Top models (from left) Carla Bruni, Claudia Schiffer, Naomi Campbell, Cindy Crawford and Helena Christensen pose at the end of the show for fashion house Versace during the Women's Spring/Summer 2018 fashion shows in Milan (AFP/Getty Images)
Naomi Campbell attends the 2016 CFDA Fashion Awards at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York (Getty Images)
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