FORMER beauty queen-turned-actress Maxine Medina has revealed that being bullied during the 2016 Miss Universe pageant gave her flashbacks of the days when she was being harassed in schools.
“Grabe ‘yun. Kahit saan naka-vandal ‘yung name ko na ganito raw ako or whatever. Mga names nila sa akin. Nasa walls, bench, CR. I don’t know maybe siguro matangkad ako, active ako sa lahat, nagba-volleyball ako nun, theater acting,” said Medina, when she recalled how she was bullied in her younger years, during an interview on “Tonight With Boy Abunda” on ABS CBN.
“Ang dami kong extra-curricular activities. Feeling ko nakukuha ko ‘yung atensyon ng marami. May point na umiyak na ako sa mommy ko hindi ko na talaga kaya,” said Medina, one of the stars of the horror flick “Spirit of the Glass 2.”
Medina even confirmed that she was stripped of her clothes in front of many people by one of her classmates.
“Ang ginawa ng mommy ko, pumunta talaga sya sa school. Tapos nakita n’ya lahat naka-vandal. Tapos nagpa-assembly sya.
Pinagsabihan n’ya lahat ng umaway sa akin and nag-transfer ako sa all-girls (school).”
But Medina said that bullying did not stop there even when she transferred to another school.
“Nung trinansfer ako sa all-girls, na-bully din ako. Sobrang baba ng self-esteem ko nun. Ang dami kong insecurities.
Sinasabihan nila ako hindi ka magkaka-boyfriend (dahil matangkad ako).
“Nung Miss Universe na, eto na naman. Siguro na-realize ko na siguro kaya ko napagdaan before ‘yun para maging ready na ako. Kasi alam ni God eto ‘yung kakaharapin ko,” she said.
When Medina competed in the Miss Universe pageant in Manila last January, the beauty queen was being bashed for her poor communication skills.
Medina laughed off rumors that she and her boyfriend actor-businessman Marx Topacio have called it quits. “Naku, hindi po tutoo ‘yan! Sorry guys, hindi po. We’re happy together.”