Mara Wilson wrote a heartfelt tribute to her childhood friend, Michelle Trachtenberg, who passed away at the age of 39 in late February. In an essay for Vulture released on Tuesday, the Matilda actress disclosed that the late Gossip Girl star experienced bullying during her teenage years.

Mara Wilson recalls Michelle Trachtenberg being bullied in middle school

I had assumed that she would be one of the popular girls at school. However, that was not the case. Whenever I heard someone mention "Michelle Trachtenberg," a classmate would quickly interject, claiming they had heard she was unkind, self-absorbed, and a complete b***h, as Wilson recounted in her essay titled, My Cool Friend Michelle.

The 37-year-old actress reflected on how she would defend Trachtenberg against her detractors, insisting, “She’s not [mean],” and adding, “She’s really nice!” Wilson disclosed that during their initial private conversation, Trachtenberg revealed that she had been a target of bullying in middle school.

“Are the kids here unkind to you?” Trachtenberg inquired, pulling Wilson aside in the school hallway in 1999. When Wilson admitted that some students were occasionally mean to her, the star of Ice Princess responded, “Because they are to me.”

“They call me Harriet the S**t, Harriet the B***h, Harriet the B***hy Spy … and much worse. It never ends,” Trachtenberg confided to Wilson, who noted in her essay that she had never witnessed the Euro Trip star in tears prior to that moment.

Wilson expressed her astonishment at seeing Trachtenberg cry, as she had always appeared “perfectly composed and confident.” The star of A Simple Wish later came to understand why others labeled the late actress as “mean.” “...They called her ‘mean’ because they were unkind to her first, and when she defended herself, they labeled her a b***h,” she explained.

“It wasn’t merely that she was being bullied; it was the realization that there was no way for her to change their perception of her. Much of being a child actor revolves around pleasing others. It felt cruelly ironic to be so disliked when our primary purpose was to gain people's affection,” Wilson remarked.

Read Also: Rachel Zegler Speaks Out Against Hollywood’s Bias on Latina Identity

Get the latest Bollywood entertainment news, trending celebrity news, latest celebrity news, new movie reviews, latest entertainment news, latest Bollywood news, and Bollywood celebrity fashion & style updates!

HOW DID YOU LIKE THIS ARTICLE? CHOOSE YOUR EMOTICON!