Xian Lim reveals he was bullied too

FILE: Actor Xian Lim during his middle school days (Photo: xianlimm/Instagram)

Now a sought-after actor who earns a lot of praises for his acting chops in various movies and television programs, who would have thought that Xian Lim once experienced being beaten and spat on?

Following a viral video of two male junior high school students involved in a bullying incident, Xian shared an old photo of him in an Instagram post on Friday, December 21, revealing that he too was bullied when he was just a 12-year-old boy.

“I had no friends. I was called a loser for being an introvert and not knowing how to talk to other kids,” Xian recalled.

He continued, “I was called a FOB for having a strong accent. Kids would beat me up and spit on me and made my life fell.”

His schoolmates’ doing, Xian said, made him not to want to attend his classes anymore. He even made up excuses to his mom, saying that he felt sick just so he could not go to school.

“I did not feel safe. Bullies told me that I would get stabbed if I were to snitch on them,” the 29-year-old actor said.

“One time I cried in front of the whole class because people would laugh and quietly say bad things about me. It made me a miserable kid. This made me hate school,” he added.

Hoping to get some help, Xian shared that he tried to tell others about what his schoolmates have been doing to him — but the bullying did not stop. His schoolmates, instead, had beaten him up some more, kicked his face, and even pointed a knife on his neck.

“I stayed quiet. I ate my lunch in the bathroom. I kept my lunch money in my underwear just in case I get ‘pocket checked,'” the actor said.

If there’s one thing that he regrets, Xian said it was when he chose to keep quiet because he was scared.

“I did not tell my parents. I did not tell the authorities. I just let things happen,” he wrote.

Not wanting others to commit the “huge mistake” that he did, Xian encouraged those who are victimized of bullying to speak up.

“We are here for you. There are others like you who feel scared an[d] defeated. Life is precious. Life is short. Our time in this world given to us is not enough. Do whatever means necessary to have a happy, balanced life,” Xian stressed.

“If there are any organizations who need me, please reach out. DM (direct message) me,” he ended.

Apart from Xian, several local celebrities, like Gabbi Garcia, Gil Cuerva, Sharlene San Pedro, and Fifth Solomon, also expressed their sentiments about bullying, with all condemning the controversial video of the junior high school student caught punching and kicking his fellow student inside a restroom of a well-known private school in Quezon City.