Lizzie Velasquez, Once Called 'World's Ugliest Woman' Stars in an Anti-Bullying Documentary
A girl dubbed the "World's Ugliest Woman" in a YouTube viral video at age 17 is starring in a new documentary, PEOPLE reports.
Lizzie Velasquez, now 26 years old, stars in "A Brave Heart: The Lizzie Velasquez Story" after years of cyber bullying.
"When I saw it my whole world just felt like it crashed at that moment," Velasquez said referring to being called the "World's Ugliest Woman" on YouTube. "I thought, how in the world can I ever pick myself up from this?"
Since then, Velasquez has become an anti-bullying activist and motivational speaker.
"If I ever see that person [who made the video] I would jump on them and give them the biggest hug in the world and tell them, 'Thank you for bringing the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life,'" she said.
"That video changed everything and it has given me the platform that I have now to be the voice for anyone who's ever been bullied - and not just myself."
Velasquez has a rare syndrome that does not allow her to gain weight, and at 26 years old, she only weighs 63 pounds. She is also blind in one eye.
Women Rising director Sara Bordo sought out Velasquez asking to document her daily life and efforts to lobby for the country's first federal anti-bullying bill.
"I experienced bullying as early as the first day of kindergarten, and there were times where I wish I could escape out of my body," Velasquez said.
Founder of the anti-bullying Megan Meier Foundation Tina Meier said, "Looking over at Lizzie's parents as they watched her up on that big screen, seeing how they were so proud because they have gone through so much -- it gave me goose bumps just looking at them."
Meier lost her 13-year-old daughter Megan to suicide after she was cyber bullied in 2006, Yahoo! Parenting reports.
Since then, Meier has been working through her foundation based in Missouri to prevent others from going through the same tragedy.
The documentary premiered Saturday at SXSW in Austin, Texas.
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