Willis Raburu is shedding light on the harsh realities of living under the spotlight while battling body image issues.
In a candid conversation on comedian Dr. Ofweneke’s podcast, Raburu opened up about his painful experiences with weight-related stigma, which ultimately pushed him to undergo gastric bypass surgery.
Raburu revealed that the torment over his body began long before his rise to fame. He shared how his struggles with body shaming started during childhood. By the time he was in eighth grade, he weighed 100 kg and became a target for relentless teasing from his classmates.
“I started to feel the pain of being teased from a young age. In eighth grade, I already weighed 100 kg,” Raburu shared.
He also recounted how some of his peers mocked him in Luo, assuming he didn’t understand the language. They cruelly referred to him as ‘Rao rabet,’ meaning ‘fat hippopotamus,’ when he was just 14 years old.
The bullying didn’t stop there. Raburu endured harassment throughout high school and later faced unrelenting criticism on social media. Trolls often targeted his appearance, leaving hurtful comments every time he posted a photo.
This constant ridicule took a severe toll on his self-esteem, leaving him unable to look at himself in the mirror.
“For a long time, I couldn’t look at myself naked in the mirror. I never did until after my gastric bypass surgery,” Raburu confessed.
His decision to undergo gastric bypass surgery was not solely about losing weight but about reclaiming his confidence and sense of self after years of being subjected to body shaming. Raburu’s journey underscores the profound impact of hurtful words and highlights the resilience needed to overcome such challenges.
