Sam Smith has revealed he underwent liposuction as a child and even considered gender-reassignment surgery.
Appearing on an episode of Jameela Jamil’s Instagram series I Weigh Interviews, the 26-year-old singer opened up about his struggles with body image. He recalled being bullied because he had “breasts.”
“I had liposuction, I was 12 years old,” Smith said. “At the time I think I was very happy about it. It didn’t really change anything. I think I put the weight back on in two weeks because I hadn’t figured out my relationship with food, so it didn’t really change anything.
“But being 12 years old and having liposuction on your chest is quite a big deal.”
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Smith said he gains weight “in places that women put on weight,” which makes him question his gender. “Maybe I’m not a man, maybe I’m not a woman, and maybe that’s okay,” he said.
“I am not male or female. I think I float somewhere in between — somewhat on the spectrum.”
The singer admitted he thought about transitioning. “I’ve sometimes sat there and questioned, do I want a sex change?” Smith said. “It’s something I still think about, but I don’t think it is.”
On Instagram, Smith said his conversation with Jamil, which he taped months ago, “completely changed my life.”
He said: “Being able to talk so openly about my body issues and feeling so safe whilst doing it was truly liberating … It took a lot for me to do this and I was so nervous, so please be kind haha. I really hope this can make someone else who feels like me, a little less lonely and a little less alien.”