Little Mix’s Leigh-Anne Pinnock reveals she was targeted by racist bullies at primary school
LITTLE Mix star Leigh-Anne Pinnock has revealed she was bullied for being a woman of colour in primary school.
The singer – who makes up one fourth of the chart-topping girl group – grew up in leafy High Wycombe in Buckinghamshire but suffered from heartbreaking racist abuse at school.
She told The Sunday Times Magazine: “My primary school wasn’t exactly …multicultural.
“No one else looked like me, I think my mum was aware of it. She used to straighten my hair.”
She recalled a particularly harrowing incident where another child targeted her with racist abuse in notes.
Leigh-Anne added: “One day, I remember seeing a bit of paper that one of the other kids had written on in class and it said, ‘Leigh-Anne. Age 9. Nationality, the jungle.'”
The singer has previously spoken out about how difficult she found it to exist with the racism in society.
She told Rollacoaster Magazine: “I definitely feel that it’s taken me a long while to completely feel comfortable in the skin that I’m in.
“Sadly we live in society that is inbuilt with racism and I just hope that by speaking up on my personal experience, I can help raise some awareness on this f****d up situation.
“I really did feel invisible and replaceable for a considerable amount of time within the band.”
MOST READ IN TV & SHOWBIZ
She added: “I’ve always been proud of who I am but maybe for a while I forgot how special and powerful that is.
“Being black is powerful, being black is beautiful and I’m ready to shout it to the world.”
Got a story? email digishowbiz@the-sun.co.uk or call us direct on 02077824220.
We pay for videos too. Click here to upload yours.