Sam Smith Reflects on Childhood Weight Struggles and Early Surgery
Sam Smith revealed in a recent podcast discussion that relentless teasing about their weight during childhood led them to undergo liposuction at the age of 13. Speaking with Penn Badgley on the podcast Podcrushed, Smith opened up about the emotional challenges and the complicated relationship with their body that began early in life.
“I was just getting so teased, I couldn’t go swimming in school.”
Smith explained that their queerness was something they could understand and accept, but body image issues were much harder to cope with. They described being mocked at school and how this constant bullying became their main source of pain as a child.
“My queerness was something that I could handle and I could have a grasp on it. But it was my weight as a kid that was the hardest thing for me in school and weirdly the thing I got teased the most about.”
Early Surgery and Its Emotional Impact
According to Smith, the teasing and bullying eventually led to a surgical procedure on their chest, supported by their parents, because “I had a growing chest.” While the liposuction physically worked, Smith described the experience as a “nightmare.”
“Getting changed in the locker room was hell.”
They recalled being instructed to wear a post-surgery bandage for a month but ended up wearing it for over a year. The garment unintentionally became a symbol of both relief and shame during their adolescence.
“If I wore the bandage, it meant that I would get to the front of the lunch queue. Because everyone had to be sensitive about my chest. I’d just get first at lunch queue and I’d eat more and eat more and eat more. And so the surgery never really worked. Because I just love food.”
Reflections on Healing and Body Acceptance
Smith shared these experiences as part of a broader conversation about self-image, acceptance, and the long journey toward feeling comfortable in their own skin. The openness in their story highlights how early pain can continue to shape a person’s self-perception long after childhood.
Author’s summary: Sam Smith revealed how relentless bullying about their weight in childhood led to early liposuction, leaving lasting emotional scars and shaping their path toward body acceptance.