She is known all around the world for her incredible beauty.
But Naomi Campbell has revealed that when she was young she faced teasing over her looks from other children at school.
The supermodel, 54, admitted that despite finding global fame for her statuesque frame and striking good looks, she hadn’t always felt confident.
Speaking on Cambon Podcast, she explained that kids had poked fun at her height and slender figure, comparing her to the cartoon character from Popeye, Olive Oyl.
Naomi recalled: ‘I wasn’t at ease with myself because I was very skinny and quite tall for my age. And they used to call me Olive Oyl.
Naomi Campbell has revealed that when she was young she faced teasing over her looks from other children at school (pictured last month)
The supermodel, 54, admitted that despite finding global fame for her statuesque frame and striking good looks, she hadn’t always felt confident (pictured in 1990)
‘And, you know, kids call each other names. My neck’s quite long, so I used to try to shrug my neck down so it wouldn’t be so long. I felt awkward.’
The catwalk queen explained that it was through dance that she came to embrace her body.
While learning the rhythmic movements served her well when it came to doing photoshoots, and inspired her poses.
She explained: ‘I just would pose the movements and the poses that I did for dance, and that got me through.
‘And creativity too. It’s something that I loved and yeah, that will never change with me. I feel that’s something that’s really part of my DNA.
‘My mother gave me a few pointers in the hallway of our home when I was a teenager and I remember even the music we were walking to was Lionel Richie and to listen to the rhythm.’
Naomi also discussed the discrimination she faced and proudly declared that she had never been shy about standing up for herself.
She said: ‘I had a voice and I would speak out if there was something that was unfair and not just.
Speaking on Cambon Podcast, she explained that kids had poked fun at her height and slender figure, comparing her to the cartoon character from Popeye, Olive Oyl (pictured)
The catwalk queen explained that it was through dance that she came to embrace her body and learning the rhythmic movements served her well when it came to doing photoshoots (pictured in September)
‘Especially if I was working the same hours, doing the same job, but not being paid the same, I will speak about this.’
Her candidness comes as a new exhibit celebrating her life and career has been launched at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
The exhibit has been created to ‘celebrate her creative collaborations, activism and far-reaching cultural impact.’
But last week, Naomi declared that out of all her incredible achievements, becoming a mother was the ‘proudest moment’ of her life.
The beauty shocked the world when she announced the surprise birth her daughter in 2021 aged 50 and posed with the newborn on the cover of Vogue, before welcoming a son in 2023.
Appearing on Loose Women on Tuesday, she was asked what the proudest moment of her life was and firmly replied: ‘Definitely becoming a mother, hands down.’
Naomi recently confirmed that she welcomed both her children via surrogate, after previously admitting that her daughter, three, wasn’t adopted.
Her candidness comes as a new exhibit celebrating her life and career has been launched at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (pictured last month)
But last week, Naomi declared that out of all her incredible achievements, becoming a mother was the ‘proudest moment’ of her life
Appearing on Loose Women on Tuesday, she was asked what the proudest moment of her life was and firmly replied: ‘Definitely becoming a mother, hands down’
Speaking to The Times, she clarified that she hadn’t been pregnant herself as she discussed how much her children mean to her.
Naomi proudly gushed: ‘My babies are everything to me. It’s made me fear for the future’.
She went on to explain that she was never looking for a father for her kids and happy being ‘a single mother of a single mum’.
And when asked whether she used a surrogate, she replied: ‘I did. I hope for a better world for my children. They are 110 per cent my priority. I have to be there for them on their first day at school.’
Naomi recently confirmed that she welcomed both her children via surrogate , after previously admitting that her daughter, three, wasn’t adopted
