Chrissy Teigen has returned to social media and apologised for cyberbullying, saying: “I was a troll, full stop, and I am so sorry”.
The model and TV presenter shared a lengthy blog post in which she said: “Confronted with some of the things that I said, I cringe to my core.”
She said that when she had started to use social media she “had so much fun with it” but had also started to use it to “snark at some celebrities”.
Chrissy Teigen apologises for being a social media “troll”
“In reality I was insecure, immature and in a world where I thought I needed to impress strangers to be accepted.
“If there was a pop culture pile-on, I took to Twitter to try to gain attention and show off what I, at the time, believed was a crude, clever harmless quip.
“I thought it made me cool and relatable if I poked fun at celebrities.”
But she said she had since realised that “words have consequences”, adding: “There are real people behind the Twitter handles I went after.
“I wasn’t just attacking some random Twitter avatar but hurting young women – some who were still girls – who had feelings.
Chrissy Teigen apologises for being a social media “troll”
“Why did I think there was some invisible psycho-celebrity formula that prevents anyone with more followers from experiencing pain?
“How did I not realise my words were cruel? What gave me the right to say these things?”
She added: “There is simply no excuse for my past horrible tweets. My targets didn’t deserve them. No one does.
“Many of them needed empathy, kindness, understanding and support, not my meanness masquerading as a kind of casual, edgy humour.”
Teigen’s words come a month after she apologised for messages sent a decade ago to model Courtney Stodden, who is non-binary.
Teigen allegedly sent messages urging the TV personality to kill themselves.
Another post in 2011 mocked actress Lindsay Lohan’s issues with self-harm.
Costume designer Michael Costello about being bullied online by Chrissy Teigen
Another alleged victim has also come forward this week: Michael Costello said that he received a tweet from Teigen in 2014 accusing him of being racist.
The fashion designer told his 1.3 million Instagram followers that Teigen had formed her opinion based on a photoshopped comment that had since been proven false and taken down.
Costello said that when he tried to explain this to Teigen, she had “told me that my career was over and that all my doors will be shut from there on”.
He said he lost work as a result, adding: “So many nights I stayed awake, wanting to kill myself.
“I didn’t see the point of living. There was no way I can ever escape from being the target of the powerful elites in Hollywood, who actually do have powers to close doors with a single text.”
Teigen is married to singer John Legend
Costello said that, as recently as last week, he had written to family and friends about taking his own life.
“As a result of what Chrissy Teigen did to me in 2014, I am not okay. I may never be okay.”
Teigen has 13.5 million Twitter followers and had been one of the site’s most prominent users, with a particular claim to fame being her clashes with former US president Donald Trump.
Mr Trump, currently banned from the social media platform, later blocked her, calling her “filthy mouthed”.
The mother of two, who is married to singer John Legend, said she is contacting her previous targets to apologise and that she is no longer the person who bullied them online.
“I grew up, got therapy, got married, had kids, got more therapy, experienced loss and pain, got more therapy and experienced more life,” she added.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK