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Rumer Willis talks overcoming online bullies as a teen: They called me 'potato head'

The daughter of Bruce Willis and Demi Moore recalls how as a teen she struggled with online bullying, often at the hands of celebrity bloggers.

As the child of celebrity parents, Rumer Willis had a tough time growing up in the spotlight.

As the oldest daughter of Hollywood icons Bruce Willis and Demi Moore, she struggled with online bullying, often at the hands of celebrity bloggers.

"It was really crazy especially because I (moved to Hollywood) right at the peak of my awkward phase of trying to figure out who I was," the actress recently told HuffPost.

Rumer Willis in January 2017
In a new interview, Rumer Willis recalled being bullied as a teen by celebrity bloggers. Getty Images

"I still had a bunch of baby fat," she explained. "I had this massive fro that I did not know what to do with. It was right also when social media and blogging was really starting and a lot of it was that really mean hyper-vigilant, like Perez Hilton types, where it was just so attacking."

On what they said about her, she lists "huge jaw" and that she had a "potato head."

“When you’re 14 or 15, I didn’t really understand having value in myself yet," she remembered. "My mind went to, ‘Okay, so if I get skinny or if I dress the right way or present myself very hyper-sexually and dress this way, then I’ll be valued."

The actress, now 30, turned to her famous mom for guidance on how to deal with the pressures of being in the public eye.

Rumer Willis bullied
Rumer Willis at the premiere of "One Upon A Time...In Hollywood" at the Chinese Theatre on July 22 in Hollywood, California.Getty Images

“I definitely talked to my mom, and her thing was always, 'You can’t read the comments,'” she said. “You could post the most beautiful picture about how you’ve gone and you’re helping kids or you’re giving your time and someone will still find a way to rag on you.”

Today, Willis, who stars in Quentin Tarantino's latest film, “Once Upon A Time In Hollywood,” is using her own platform to spread positivity and love.

“I think the most important thing for me is doing my best to lead by example,” she said, adding that she focuses on honesty with her 700,000 followers on Instagram. “I still deal with insecurity and trying to figure out my own path in all of it.”

One way Willis checks herself is by talking to the "little version" of herself.

"One of the things I do is I put a photo of myself when I'm little, and so if I ever (catch) myself talk negatively, I'm like, would you ever talk to a kid like that?" she said. "Would you ever speak to a child the way you're talking to yourself?"