Sam Smith, the 33-year-old British pop star, has recently shared a deeply personal and painful experience from their childhood: undergoing liposuction at the age of 13 due to relentless bullying about their weight. In a candid conversation on Penn Badgley's "Podcrushed" podcast, Smith opened up about the "nightmare" they endured as a young teen, revealing the profound impact the bullying had on their self-image and mental health.
Growing up in Hertfordshire, England, Smith attended a Catholic school where they faced constant ridicule because of their weight. Smith stated that their weight was the "hardest thing" for them in school and the primary target of teasing. They recounted the daily torment of being unable to participate comfortably in activities like swimming due to insecurities about their body. "I couldn't go swimming in school, and I couldn't - like, getting changed in the locker room was hell," Smith shared, highlighting the extent of their distress.
The constant bullying led Smith to seek a drastic solution: liposuction on their chest at the age of 13. Liposuction is a surgical procedure that removes fat deposits from specific areas of the body using suction techniques. Smith's parents, witnessing their child's suffering, supported their decision to undergo the procedure. "They were hugely supportive of the whole thing because they saw how much it was crippling everything about me," Smith explained.
Despite the initial hope for relief, Smith described the liposuction experience as a "nightmare". The recovery process involved wearing a compression bandage for an extended period. Smith even humorously recalled exploiting the bandage to gain preferential treatment in the school lunch line. However, the surgery ultimately failed to address the underlying issues related to their body image and relationship with food. "The surgery never really worked because I just love food," Smith admitted.
In retrospect, Smith has been open about their ongoing struggles with body image and their journey toward self-acceptance. They have spoken about the pressures within the entertainment industry to conform to certain physical ideals. Smith has also acknowledged a past obsession with weight and appearance, including constantly monitoring their weight and scrutinizing their reflection.
More recently, Smith has embraced their natural body, including stretch marks, and adopted a more body-positive mindset. In 2023, Smith shared that they have "stopped caring what people think as much," signaling a significant shift in their self-perception.
Smith's revelation about undergoing liposuction at 13 has sparked conversations about the impact of bullying on young people and the pressures surrounding body image. It has also reignited calls for anti-bullying reforms in schools. By sharing their story, Smith hopes to destigmatize early interventions while advocating for better safeguards for children and teens struggling with their body image and mental health.
