There’s no denying that Ivana Alawi is one of the most beautiful faces in Philippine showbiz right now. With her angelic face and killer figure, there’s no doubt that the 27-year-old has racked up quite a number of endorsements and projects over the years. But even a big star like Ivana isn’t immune to bashers and negative comments—especially when she was younger.
Case in point: Ivana revealed in a recent interview that she was actually subjected to bullying when she was still a student, which eventually got so bad that she had to *stop* going to school temporarily.
Ivana Alawi Opens Up About Being Bullied As A Student
“Sobra. Sobra akong na-bully nung elementary, high school, kasi daw ‘di ako maganda,” was Ivana’s response when asked if she ever got bullied in the past.
She added: “To the point na ayoko pumasok sa school kasi lagi ako inaasar na ‘di maganda, tapos mukha daw akong ‘di Pilipino tapos ‘di [rin] English-speaking kasi lumaki ako sa ibang bansa so ‘di ako marunong mag-Tagalog.”
ICYDK, Ivana (who is half-Filipino and half-Moroccan) actually grew up in a house in Bahrain, which she eventually inherited when her late father passed.
The 27-year-old actress shared that the bullying got so bad that she would be hesitant to go to school and even *stopped* attending classes for a time. “Nag-stop ako ng school para ‘di ko na sila makita. As in dalawa lang naging kaibigan ko noon nung elementary [and] high school,” she revealed.
When she was in school, however, Ivana had to eat her lunch in the bathroom to avoid being face-to-face with her bullies.
“Tapos nahihiya pa ‘ko mag–punta ng CR. ‘Di ako makapagpaalam na, ‘Ma’am, pwede po ba ako mag-CR?’ so yung ihi ko, lagi ko pinipigilan. Muntik pa nga ako magka-UTI,” she reminisced.
Years later, when Ivana got her ~*big break*~ and she became the Ivana that we all know and love, she revealed that her bullies actually messaged her to apologize for their actions.
“Ngayon, lahat nung mga bully, nag-message sakin para mag-sorry, pero siyempre yung damage dati nung ginawa nila sakin, yung na-feel ko, hindi na nila mababalik yun,” she stressed.
Of course, Ivana is not one to hold a grudge, and she shared that she has already forgiven them and even thanked them for making her the woman that she is today. “Napatawad ko na sila kasi wala na ‘ko galit sa kanila and they made me stronger,” she concluded.
Ivana Alawi Is Not Shy To Clap Back At Internet Bullies
Of course, now that Ivana has been in the industry for a few years now, it seems like the hate and bullying have only grown tenfold. However, the 27-year-old doesn’t let the hate get to her anymore—she even dishes out the best comebacks!
When a netizen once told her, “Maghubad ka na lang. Nag-damit ka pa, bold star,” she didn’t let the comment get to her. “Masaya ako mag-bikini. Pero if ang pag-si-swimsuit ko sa ‘yo ay bold star, eh ‘di bold star sa ‘yo,” she replied. Go Ivana!
