The 'X Factor (US)' judge and the students make a pinky swear symbolized with blue nail polish on their pinky fingers.
- Sep 21, 2012
AceShowbiz - Demi Lovato starts her campaign as an ambassador of Secret's Mean Stinks to end bullying. Amid her busy schedule, the 20-year-old star takes time to visit students at New York City's Young Women's Leadership School. Together, they "gang up for good" and make "a pinky swear" not to being mean to others.
The pinky swear is symbolized with blue nail polish on their pinky fingers. "I'll definitely be wearing [the nail polish] starting soon," she says. "It's a conversation starter: 'Hey, why is your pinky blue?' 'This is a pinky promise that I'm not going to bully people, that me and my friends are ganging up for good.' "
Explaining how she's involved in the campaign, "The X Factor (US)" judge says, "I heard about the program last year, and thought it was such a great opportunity." The former Disney actress, who endured bullying when she was at school, explains further, "They're really trying to put an end to bullying."
Revisiting her school days, she states, "I had a really tough time when I was in middle school. People would write 'hate petitions' [about me] and send them around to be signed. They'd have CD-bashing parties of my demos. They'd come to my house, stand across the street and yell things. It was a very emotional time for me, and all I wanted to do was get away."
"Back then, there were times I didn't think I'd be able to move on," Demi adds to PEOPLE. Now, she becomes one of the role models for people of her age due to her courageous trip to rehab to battle her eating disorders and self-harm issues, and her triumphant struggle against her inner demons. She's dubbed the third most-powerful young musician of 2012 by Billboard.
