Michelle Trachtenberg Reflects on Being Bullied in School on Valentine's Day: 'Kids Were Cruel'
Michelle Trachtenberg is opening up about a painful part of her childhood.
While Valentine’s Day is filled with lots of loving and happy memories for many, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer actress revealed in an Instagram post early Thursday morning that she has many negative memories associated with the holiday.
“So. It’s valentines week. Back in my day all the kids had to write a bull—- Valentine’s Day card to everyone in the class. I never got one on purpose, everyone got a valentine card,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself as an adolescent, shared one day before Valentine’s Day.
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“No one ever gave me one and they thought I didn’t need the attention. The kids and staff all laughed and thought everyone else should get one, being an actress since I was 3, apparently I didn’t need one,” she continued. “No one gave a thought I was helping my family pay bills. I was just the girl on the tv, it was just that their kid wasn’t on tv.”
Trachtenberg, who turned 34 in October, explained that “this is challenging for me to post as people always contact me on social media saying oh my brother my sister went to school with you, you were best friends! False.”
A post shared by Michelle Trachtenberg (@michelletrachtenberg) on Feb 13, 2020 at 2:00am PST
Though Trachtenberg was a successful childhood actress, she was a victim of bullying — and admitted she still has “scars” to this day.
“The kids were cruel. There is no need to harp on the past,” she said. “But I still have scars from being thrown down stairs and slammed into lockers head first.”
In honor of those who are currently being bullied, Trachtenberg wrote, “I write this to every child, teen, person, out there who is bullied. You are something. Do not put your value in someone else. Not letting them win, is your win.”
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Despite the pain from her past, the Gossip Girl alumnus thanked three teachers who helped her in different ways.
“So actually my valentines goes to three teachers who protected me and I think about to this day. Mrs. Vollman (she let me eat lunch in her classroom so the kids wouldn’t throw out my food or throw their food at me). Mrs. Lighter (who helped me love learning and let me read books in her classroom),” she wrote. “Mr. Beckman (he saw I was a writer and challenged me, as a former college professor and wanted to see my writing succeed) Thank you to you all. #Grateful for life.”
At the end of January, Trachtenberg publicly praised another “kind” human whom she knows: Kaia Gerber!
A post shared by Michelle Trachtenberg (@michelletrachtenberg) on Jan 23, 2020 at 2:28pm PST
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Gerber, who is the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford and Rande Gerber, made a small cameo in 2016’s Sister Cities, in which Trachtenberg starred as Dallas.
“#throwbackthursday To @kaiagerber and I on set. This was her first movie, she did a small cameo and she was brilliant and humble. Before runway shows & couture came a fabulously kind human raised by the amazing @cindycrawford and her husband Rande,” Trachtenberg captioned a throwback photo of herself and Gerber, shared to Instagram. “Both #women beautiful inside and out! 💖.”
Gerber, 18, commented, “I was legit watching Ice Princess the other day 😂,” noting Trachtenberg‘s 2005 film, Ice Princess. “Miss you! This feels like forever ago 💘.”
