It's no secret that women whose careers put them in front of a camera are susceptible to intense and unfair scrutiny on their looks.
Multiplatinum singer Kelly Clarkson, for example, opened up about being bullied for her size in a memorable interview with Ellen DeGeneres in 2015. But celebrities aren't the only women who have to battle this type of public criticism. News anchors also often find themselves hearing hurtful comments from viewers while doing their jobs.
Marcella Raymond, a longtime reporter at Chicago's WGN News, is the latest woman to publicly address a cruel anonymous letter she received in the mail. And it's another example of the bullying at its finest.
Her intention of sharing the mean message? To encourage everyone to be a bit more mindful of the words they so easily tell another.
"I didn't publicly post the letter to say, 'Poor me. Tell me how pretty and wonderful I am.'" she told LitteThings through email. "I posted it because I couldn't believe someone would take the time to send an anonymous letter to someone they don't even know under the guise of being 'concerned' about their job."
She added, "As a society, we've become more critical of others and intolerant of anyone different from us. We need to mind our own business. I hope, because of my story, someone will think twice about what they say."
View the letter below and please SHARE to spread her important message…
Marcella Raymond, who joined the Chicago news team in 1998, shared an image of the letter on her Facebook page, along with the caption, "Got this lovely letter from a viewer this morning."
"It did make me step back for a minute and feel a little pain but it was short-lived," she said. "I would rather enjoy my life than be obsessed about my weight."
The letter reads in part, "Please allow me to point out (with great respect) that you have gained too much weight. Being heavier than you probably want to be does present a message to the viewer: this person is not able to discipline herself in a visual medium. It interferes with your real message when reporting."
In an interview with her WGN team, Raymond also pointed out the letter supports sexism and ageism.
"I'm 50 years old, I'm not going to look when I was 23 and I can't compete with those girls," she said. "I can't do it. I just can't. I would spend my entire life doing that and I have other better, important things to do."
Her WGN News coworkers also quickly took to her defense and revealed some of the cruel things they've received from viewers, as you'll see in the video below. As it turns out, Raymond isn't the only one who deals with mean comments like these.
Watch below, and please make sure to SHARE to spread this brave TV reporter's important message about bullying!
