Gold Coast Instagram star Tammy Hembrow supports anti-bullying charity ICANIWILL
Instagram sensation Tammy Hembrow, who has 9.4 million followers, admits she’s grown a thick skin to daily online abuse — but that doesn’t mean she’s willing to tolerate it.
Confidential
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INSTAGRAM sensation Tammy Hembrow believes social media platforms need to bring more awareness to the rampant bullying online.
The Gold Coast fitness trainer and Saski Collection owner — Australia’s 10th most followed person with 9.4 million Instagram followers — said dealing with daily abuse had become the expectation for online identities.
“I get a lot of online abuse but I wouldn’t say it’s something I monitor daily because I still have to live my life. In this industry I expect it, which is sad,” Hembrow told Confidential after partnering with local anti-bullying charity ICANIWILL.
“I definitely think there needs to be more awareness brought to bullying via any/every platform. It’s something that needs to be constantly talked about and not tolerated.”
Hembrow, 25, has increasingly become a target online. Footage of her apparently passed out at music festival Coachella, posted to Instagram by a friend, went viral in April.
It came after she made headlines last August when photos emerged of her leaving Kylie Jenner’s 21st birthday party in the US facedown on a stretcher, putting her at odds with Kardashian fans.
“I was bullied before I even started social media, I actually changed schools because of it at one stage in my life. I’ve grown a thick skin over the years and now because of (my) online presence bullying is something I deal with on a day-to-day basis. Not just from people online but also the media,” she said.
“The difference between now and back then is that now I know who I am, I’m tougher and my outlook on the bullies is different.”
“People find it easy to say hurtful things behind a screen and maybe they’re going through something themselves but I can’t let that affect me, all I can do is be myself and show my own kindness to others.”
Hembrow added: “That’s what ICANIWILL is trying to teach these kids — bullies are everywhere, especially with social media, it’s how you view them and deal with it. Each individual has to make the choice to be kind themselves and build the emotional tools to be resilient against those who choose not to be.”
The mother of two children — Wolf, 4, and Saskia, 2 — will continue to work with the charity, having attended a Gold Coast school to film an episode of The ICANIWILL Show, which aims to reduce bullying for youth suicide prevention, by using entertainment and influencers.
Other celebrities who have filmed episodes include Jeff Horn, Laura Geitz, Andrew Symonds, Alfie Langer, Chris Lynn, Steph Clare Smith and Timomatic.
“Having children myself I want to help kids to see that they’re resilient and that they can cope when they might feel they don’t have the strength, this can potentially save lives,” Hembrow said.
“If we stress the importance now, it will hopefully make a difference for the future.”
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