Dan Levy’s Story
Bullies targeted Dan Levy at a summer camp, and then he grew up to become an extraordinarily successful show business personality. You may know him as a star of the Emmy Award-winning television show, Schitt’s Creek; he plays the role of David Rose. He is also its showrunner, and a writer, director, and producer.
Dan created Schitt’s Creek with his dad, Eugene Levy, who plays Johnny Rose on the show.
Dan Levy’s Mother Is Also a Star
But it was Dan’s mom, Deborah Divine, who won the internet on the day he hosted “Saturday Night Live.” She tweeted a message to the bullies of Dan’s childhood:
“This goes out to the bully punks at Camp WTF who made life miserable for a certain cabin-mate back in the the summer of ‘96 – just because he was different. Well, after all these years I have just 7 words to say to you: ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!'” And she added a heart emoji.
The Message Mom Deborah Divine Conveys
Deborah sent a message to Dan about her unconditional support of him and the unabashed, joyful pride she was feeling in her son. But she sent an even stronger to the rest of us.
Bullying doesn’t define us, and it doesn’t determine or limit our options. Just because a pack of “bully punks” tried to destroy us does not mean we deserved it.
Those bullies may get short-term satisfaction in watching us experience pain and a loss of self-esteem. They can cause us harm, and the damage they do can have long-lasting consequences. The trauma can remain with us for years and even decades.
But, finally, we can get past childhood bullying. We just have to believe in ourselves even more than we once accepted the terrible lies the bullies once told us.
We matter more than they do. Thank you, Deborah Divine, for reminding us of that.