On the small screen, Kate Gosselin has always come across as a woman who seems to have extraordinary strength and has somewhat of a tough exterior.
So, her latest admission of her painful past of being bullied relentlessly, and the torment she faced when she found fame on “Jon & Kate Plus 8”, showcases an entirely different side to the reality star.
The 37-year-old has penned a brutally honest account of her experiences on BullyVille.com, in a bid to let others who have been subjected to bullying, not feel so alone and isolated.
Here is here letter in its entirety;
I’ve been bullied. A lot. Sadly, I’m not unlike many people in today’s society. When people think of ‘bullies’, they likely think of the dark days back in middle school. Many of us faced difficult times during those years that began with puberty. Most of my memories are confusing emotional struggles to figure out who I was and where I fit in. I was definitely bullied back then and the cruel comments and mean displays are memories that have left deep scars that remain with me til this day. Bullying made me feel insecure, alone, ugly, powerless, and hopeless at times. Being bullied was the most difficult part of my early teen years. But the bullying didn’t stop there for me and with a quick sweep of the internet, it’s clear that this epidemic is alive and well like a disease with no cure! It’s a horrible disease that haunts me and many many many others in our world!
When my life became very public in 2006 with the airing of our show ‘Jon and Kate Plus 8′ on TLC, I was honestly surprised that ‘adult bullying’ via the Internet existed. I am a positive person by nature and the fact that people, many of them, flocked to the Internet to make ugly hurtful and untrue comments about myself and my family truly shocked me! And it didn’t stop with comments from people who had never met us! The tabloids printed lie after lie after lie in order to benefit financially, which in my opinion is a form of ‘legal’ bullying, people flooded companies that I worked for to spread their venom about me, sometimes spending days on end at their computers in a hope to ensure their bullying goal had been achieved and desperately wishing that the targeted company would ‘drop’ me. Publishers were hounded, businesses who had hired me to speak or appear were badgered with constant hate and the list goes on and on. Fortunately, because most companies are accustomed to dealing with this sort of negative nonsense, they stood by me as a rule and we successfully saw our endeavors come to fruition! I am so grateful to the many corporations, family and friends who have chosen to see me for who I really am and know the truth and goodness that defines me.
Many people ask me how I handle such hate? My answer is this:
First of all, I ignore most of the hate and lies. I have better things to do with my time. I have eight wonderful children who need a mother to show them the love and support that surrounds them, not retaliation and bitterness.
Second, I use my haters as my motivators. If they say I can’t do it, rest assured I WILL do it. And I won’t stop until I’ve succeeded in achieving any given goal. With all I’ve been through, one thing I know about myself is that my persistence is hard to stop! I think of myself as the energized bunny. I keep going and going and going!
Third, as a rule that has resulted from my bullying experiences, I don’t believe anything written or said about anyone else and instead, I meet the person and form my own opinion. Having been so misjudged and so bullied over the past six or seven years, I now view others with a total sense of non-judgment. I give everyone the benefit of the doubt and don’t comment on people whom I have not met. I will not take what an online blog, tabloid magazine, or gossip article says and form my opinion on someone. My eyes and heart are open to form my own opinion should that opportunity arise. As a result, I’ve met and become life long friends with many people who have had a ‘questionable’ reputation. Lesson learned! Don’t ever judge a book by its cover!
And lastly, since bullies typically come from a place of jealousy, I try not to let any of their vile dangerous words permeate me and who I know I am. Instead, I look on them with empathy and sadness and wish for them a better and happier life. I wish they could look at the world the way I and many others do, as a place that needs our endless love, help and positivity. I teach my kids to reach out and help others when they fall instead of stomping on them and passing by. I also teach them to feel happiness for others successes, not jealousy. If only everyone could see it that way? How wonderful our world would be if bullies didn’t exist because we overwhelmed them with our love, which in turn would make them want to find love in their hearts for others instead of their jealousy, hate and harm!
To read more about Kate’s experience and other stars who have been on the receiving end of bullying, visit BullyVille.com. The site also provides a wonderful platform for those to share their own personal experiences and receive support.
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