Anne Hathaway found herself at the centre of intense online scrutiny almost a decade ago, and we still, to this very day, don't exactly know why.
I mean, apparently, it was because she was "annoying" for trying too hard to be perfect and seemed happy all the time (which is the most ludicrous reason for warranting a whole social media hate campaign against someone) - but the most important thing about the whole #HathaHate situation is the way the actress handled it, and turned it into a positive for her mental health.
Speaking at the ELLE's 29th Annual Women in Hollywood, the Oscar-winning actress explained: "Ten years ago, I was given an opportunity to look at the language of hatred from a new perspective. This was a language I had employed with myself since I was 7. And when your self-inflicted pain is suddenly somehow amplified back at you at, say, the full volume of the internet... it's a thing."
At this point she's more iconic than Andy ever was.
Instead of crumbling due to the trolling, Anne used it to realise she wanted nothing to do with the negative narrative surrounding her, even when it came from herself.
"I realised that this wasn't it. This wasn't the spot. When what happened, happened, I realised I had no desire to have anything to do with this line of energy. On any level," she said. "I would no longer create art from this place. I would no longer hold space for it, live in fear of it, nor speak its language for any reason. To anyone. Including myself."
The Devil Wears Prada actress defiantly added: "You do not have the right to judge - and especially not hate - someone for existing. And if you do, you're not where it's at."
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Looking at the issue of online hate through the lens of motherhood, Anne added: "As the mother of young children, which means someone who has spent the last six years around young children, I am of the firm belief that we are born experiencing love. And then we form, in a culture of misplaced hate, unhealed hurt, and the toxicity that is the byproduct of both.
Anne Hathaway inspiringly concluded: "This next point is debatable, and I hope it is not offensive in its optimism, but: I believe the good news about hate being learned is that whoever learned it can learn. There is a brain there. I hope they give themselves a chance to relearn love."
This is just a stark reminder that celebrities are human too, and we should be kind with our words online. Also, hating someone because they are happy and successful was never cool, isn't cool, and will never be cool.
The Y2K bangs are going viral.
