Taylor Lautner has a surprisingly refreshing attitude when it comes to online contempt for his looks.
On Tuesday, the “Twilight” actor admitted Mental Health Awareness Month In a short Instagram video, he addressed a series of derogatory remarks he made on social media following a recent televised interview with his wife, Tay Dome Lautner.
The comments, some of which Lautner shared in the clip, were nothing short of brutal.
“He hasn’t aged well geez,” one person wrote.
Added: “The guy looks like old broccoli.”
Lautner – who is 31, by the way – said such comments “really got under my skin” early in his career, adding: “It would have made me want to just go down a hole and not out go.”
These days, however, he continues to learn to look past such petty, malicious comments.
“You find value where you put it, and if you value what other people think of you, you will feel the same way,” he explained. “But if you value knowing who you are, what matters to you, what you love, then those things won’t reach you.”
Lautner went on to admit that he was hurt by the comments, but said such criticisms “no longer make me question who I am.”
As of Wednesday afternoon, the post had received more than 108,000 likes and numerous comments. One of those who praised Lautner was former “Bachelor” star Clayton Echard, about whom he has been open his experience with body dysmorphic disorder.
Jamie McCarthy via Getty Images
“Your sharing will help others understand the power of your words, and maybe next time they’ll think twice before hitting send,” Echard wrote. “Proud of you brother.”
Lautner’s wife, the co-host of “The pressureIn the podcast with her husband, she only noted: “God, I love you.”
Ultimately, Lautner hopes those who identify with his situation will feel encouraged to “spread love and positivity” rather than hostility.
“Think about it and remember what you value in life and also just be nice,” he said in the final moments of the video. “It’s not that difficult.”
