Cyber trolls tend to forget their targets are humans with feelings and insecurities. While many celebrities do their best to turn a blind eye to the vitriol, sometimes even employing others to man their social channels, Robbie Williams took so much notice of his he altered his face.
The former Take That member, who turned 42 this year, says he underwent cosmetic surgery after being told he looked old on social media.
“I’ve had Botox and some fillers and something done to my chin,” he told the Australian news website news.com.au. “And I really like it. With the last few albums I put out I looked on social media people were saying, ‘F**k, he’s aged.’ And I was like, ‘Yeah, I have’.
“I was tired, I had mental illness and stress and whatever was going on up there was coming out in my face. The truth of my mind was written on my face.”
Williams says since having the procedures done amid his promtional tour for his latest album The Heavy Entertainment Show, people have stopped talking about him looking "old".
“No one was saying I looked old,” he says. “I don’t think I’ll take it to that Hollywood freaky level. We’re at the beginning of people outing themselves as being a usual thing.”
Similarly, Wiliams admitted he does read comments about him online, describing it as an addiction.
"I read everything. Yes, it's dangerous. Yes, it crushes the soul. But I'm addicted to it. Yes, I concentrate on the bad ones. I'm addicted to a lot of stuff that makes me feel sull stop. Feel angry. There's an energy in that that's addictive. I'm addicted to stuff that strokes my ego, there's an energy to that. I'm addicted to everything about it."
