Shawn Mendes was bullied for being a hopeful musician as a teenager.
The ‘Stitches’ hitmaker has opened up about his high school days in an emotional social media post when he admitted taking his first steps into singing was difficult because of the reactions from other kids.
Shawn, now 20, wrote on Instagram: "I’m thinking about being in 9th grade right now. The day after I posted one of my first covers onto YouTube back in 2014.. at school walking down the hall straight into a group of older guys yelling out ‘sing for me Shawn sing for me!’
"In a way that made me feel absolutely horrible… made me feel like a joke, like what I was doing was just stupid & wrong.
"I was lucky though, I had the best friends & the best parents anyone could ask for… no matter what they would never let me stop doing what I LOVED to do just because someone ELSE thought it was stupid.
"It’s not joke to me. To make someone feel bad about doing what they love… every single person deserves to do what makes them feel alive. (sic)"
He added that he decided to open up to help inspire other teenagers – and older people – who need to realise how important it is to "follow their heart".
He continued: "I’m writing this not only to the 15 year old kid who’s scared to follow their heart because of what people might say but also to the 50 year old who may be doing the exact same thing.
"I know it’s not just that easy & I’m not asking you to change your world over night, BUT I want you to know that no matter how old you are, no matter who you are, no matter where you’re from… you deserve to follow your heart. I’m here & I’m rooting for you."
Shawn Mendes reflects on bullying over music dream
