Sunny Anderson knows how to deal with bullies.
On Tuesday, the Food Network star shared a screenshot on Instagram she took from someone who criticized her, along with her own lengthy message about people who take time to bring down others.
“Trolls, bullies, narcissists. They all exist here online & in real life. I see it. Weird people talking about how they want me to look & act (Clarice? Shall I put the lotion in the basket?️),” she wrote.
“Oh, my wigs are bad. Food is gross, I'm fat, too this, too that, whatever. I see sexists telling only women to tie their hair back in the kitchen. Some don't even think I have a kitchen.”
Anderson, 45, wrote that she has a history with bullies that helped prepare her with the proper ways to deal with them.
“I was raised different, ok? First off, I had a built-in bully at home, k? So early on, I knew what bullies were...insecure, hurting, little miscreants. Then you grow & it continues,” Anderson wrote.
Anderson, who voiced her support for marginalized people in a moving June post to celebrate Pride Month, said even though being a woman of color makes her an easy target, she is ready to handle whatever is thrown her way.
“As a black female, I'm statistically getting junk left and right. And it's not just me. I have seen some real sick people online say some junk to people I know,” she wrote. “I need EVERYONE TO KNOW, I'm ALWAYS ok. OK? And I also need EVERYONE TO KNOW when you troll, there's so much you're saying about yourself. Sounds cliché, but true.
“I used to try & tell the trolls that, but they are so caught up in their need to soothe themselves w/ leveling people, that they don't see the level they are on. Now, I just restrict/block.”
Anderson then turned her attention to the message she shared in her post where a user apologized for exhibiting “rude behavior.”
“This is a DM from a troll who publicly had vitriol for me, someone they've never met. I never get hurt by words from strangers, ever. At 45, I'm immune to words tossed at me,” she wrote. “But I'm not immune to understanding the human condition. Just like my bully growing up, I know those that bully and troll have PAIN, plenty of it, and narcissism. Whether they see it or not.”
Anderson then reminded everyone to remember that online bullies always operate within a pattern in which they seek out people who seem to be doing well.
“The next time you see a troll, you can smile at the jokes, but also frown at their pain. Trolls only look to the top, they never bully beneath themselves," she wrote.
"And by the top I mean exactly what you think, happy people, successful people, etc. We all have opinions, trolls are just narcissists that think their nasty missives should be seen and heard,” she continued.
“Where are their friends I would ask, why can't they text them? Is their need for a rush so big, that they would choose the lowest common denominator for attention? Some build pages just to troll! A waste, cuz as you can see, like I always say, psychology has it that misery ❤'s co. Trolls are miserable, and hurt. Also, there's a thin line btwn ❤ & hate. Good mornin."