Ella Cruz is one of the most recognizable actresses from her generation, but as it turns out, even she wasn't immune to being bullied when she was younger. In the recent press conference for her Vivamax series The Seniors, the 25-year-old revealed that she was a victim of bullying back in high school.
When asked by Jojo Gabinete of Pep.ph, Ella shared that her high school years in her hometown in Bulacan were a very messy experience for her, recalling how she was pushed around by her classmates.
"To be honest, yung high school talaga ang pinakamagulo na parte ng buhay ko... kasi dun ko na-experience na ma-bully ako."
According to Ella, she was mainly made fun of due to her height and her career. "Siguro kung magtatanong kayo kung ano po yung mga na-bully sa akin, yung isa is maliit ako. Tapos, laos na artista raw ako kapag wala akong projects, sinasabihan ako ng mga ganoon," she shared.
She was also accused of paying off her teachers in order to get good grades.
Further opening up, Ella also looked back on one particular traumatizing experience, claiming that she was slapped for no apparent reason by one of her classmates. "One time, I’m just walking sa hallway, biglang kinorner po ako ng mga kaklase tapos bigla nila akong sinampal, out of nowhere, na walang reason talaga."
The actress noted that being bullied taught her to always respect other people, whether they are older or younger than her.
In her fourth year, Ella transferred to another school where she was able to make new friends. She shared, "Thank God, nung senior year ko na, fourth year high school, lumipat ako ng school sa Quezon City. Nag-home study ako dahil yun ang time na hindi ko na kayang mag-aral ng regular o pumasok ng regular."
"Dun ko na-meet yung mga tunay na kaibigan ko, yung friends for life. Sila talaga yung maaasahan mo through ups and downs," she shared.
She also said that she still keeps in touch with those friends up until now, and that they continue to support each other's endeavors.
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