Taylor Lautner, 31, had an inspiring clap-back to online trolls who recently criticized his physical appearance. The Twilight star made an Instagram video on May 22 and told his 9 million followers that he recently came across some cruel comments about him on social media that were sparked by an interview he did with his wife Tay Dome. “I was going through the comments and it brought up old feelings and memories why I don’t look through comments, but I’m in a different place now, and I just felt compelled to share this with you,” Taylor said. “So I’m gonna play a little, I’m gonna show you the comments and then I’ll be right back.”
Taylor’s video showed screenshots of some of the mean comments directed towards the actor, many of which criticized his hairline. “Dude did not age well,” one person said, while another wrote, “He aged like a raisin.” A different commenter said that Taylor “looks like s***” now.
Taylor called the comments “crazy,” but acknowledged that online criticism is common in the era of social media. He said if he saw the mean comments even just a few years ago, they “would’ve caused me to want to just go in a hole and not go outside.” However, Taylor said he’s learned to overcome that “unhealthy” mentality because he’s found “value” in himself.
“You find value where you put it, and if you put your value in what other people think of you, that’s how you’re gonna feel,” the Abduction star said. “But if you put your value in you, knowing who you are, what’s important to you, what you love, that kind of stuff won’t get to you. And I’m just so thankful that I am in the place I am today where I can see that. And I’m not gonna lie, I’m not gonna say it doesn’t bug me. I wouldn’t be on here posting this video if it didn’t bother me at all, but it doesn’t make me question who I am, and it doesn’t take anything away from me.”
Taylor added, “I think my biggest point is just think about and remember where you put your value in life. And also just be nice. It’s not that difficult. Let’s be nice to each other. Let’s spread love and positivity. It’s that simple. I love you guys, and I hope you have a great rest of your day.” The Michigan native captioned his video, “Spread love. #mentalhealthawarenessmonth.”
Taylor received so much support for his video in the comments section. Not only did fans show him some love, but other public figures, like Kaitlyn Bristowe and Clayton Echard from The Bachelor franchise, also applauded Taylor for his inspiring and powerful message.