In an exclusive interview with J-14 magazine, Fifth Harmony’s Lauren Jauregui opens up about being a victim to body-shaming and reveals how she overcame it — by her tribe of girl friends supporting her!

“When I was in fifth grade, I got bullied really nastily about my appearance,” she reveals to J-14. “Kids would tell me I was fat and say other mean things about my body.”

During that time, Lauren says trying to get her confidence up was tough. “I tried my best to brush off the comments, but it got hard…it wasn’t the easiest thing to deal with then, and it’s still not the easiest thing nowadays,” she admits to J-14.

However, as Lauren’s gotten older, she tells us she’s learned that self-love is really the key to being confident in the skin you’re in. “You need to accept yourself for who you are and surround yourself with a good group of girl friends that’ll lift you up instead of put you down,” she reveals.

“Having those positive friends around can really make a difference in how you view yourself,” Lauren explains. “It’s helped me realize that there’s no such thing as having a perfect body, and just because I’m not shaped the same way as another girl is, it doesn’t mean I’m not pretty. It just means that no two girls are alike.”

For the full interview with Lauren Jauregui, including her five confidence tips, pick up the latest issue of J-14 magazine, on newsstands now!

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