It may be hard to believe considering she’s one of the most famous girls on the planet right now, but Selena Gomez wasn’t always so popular. The ‘Who Says’ singer revealed that when she was in school, she wasn’t confident at all — and that she thinks the only reason she wasn’t bullied is because her cousin was a cheerleader and protected her!

“I was never the popular kid at school. I had two friends, but I just sat at the back of the room and got on with my work,” Gomez told the Daily Mail. “School is such an awkward time in your life. I was never confident in school.”

“Nobody picked on me because my cousin was one of the popular gang,” she dished. “She was always very protective of me, so I guess I was very lucky.”

Gomez also said that despite dating the world’s biggest heartthrob, Justin Bieber, now, she actually never had a boyfriend in school. True to her ‘Hit the Lights’ lyric, “It’s the boy you never told ‘I like you,’” Gomez says, “I never went out with guys at school. I had a crush on a guy, but I never told him about it. I did the thing that a lot of girls do: I avoided him!” So funny, but so true!

What advice does Sel have for girls in similar situations? “You need that self confidence if you want to chat to the guy you like. If you’re confident with yourself, and you’re okay with that, then you should go for it. Ignore the cruel jibes and stick with the nice people,” she said.

Gomez has a healthy perspective because she surrounds herself with people who love her. “I’m lucky because I have a lot of support from my family and friends. I have so many amazing things in my life,” she gushed. “I have a healthy, loving family and I have amazing fans. That’s all that matters to me. I try my best to not dwell on the bad stuff. Focus on the positive.” She also has the Biebs! She really is lucky!

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