Sam Smith Discusses Childhood Weight Struggles and Liposuction
Sam Smith opened up about their difficult relationship with their body during childhood in a new podcast interview with Penn Badgley on Podcrushed. Responding to a question from Badgley about challenges they faced growing up, Smith focused on the teasing they endured due to their weight.
“I was just getting so teased, I couldn’t go swimming in school.”
Smith explained that while they could manage their queerness, which they embraced after coming out as gay at 10, their weight was the hardest issue at school and the main source of bullying.
Impact of Bullying and Surgery
The ongoing teasing led Smith to undergo liposuction at the age of 13, with their parents' support, to address a "growing chest."
“Getting changed in the locker room was hell.”
Despite the surgery providing some relief, Smith described the experience as a “nightmare.” Although advised to wear a post-surgery chest bandage for a month, they ended up wearing it for over a year.
“If I wore the bandage, it meant that I would get to the front of the lunch queue. Because everyone had to be sensitive about my chest.”
This unintended benefit led Smith to eat more during lunch, which they admitted undermined the surgery’s effectiveness.
“I’d just get first at lunch queue and I’d eat more and eat more and eat more. And so the surgery never really worked. Because I just love food.”
Summary
Sam Smith’s account highlights how bullying over weight profoundly affected their childhood, leading to early surgery and complex feelings about body image and self-acceptance.
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