Cybersmile and Urban Decay Launch “Words Hurt IRL” Campaign featuring Ava Michelle in Honor of Stop Cyberbullying Day

Author: SCD Team
June 17, 2022

Cybersmile and Urban Decay have announced their latest initiative, “WORDS HURT IRL” launched in support of Stop Cyberbullying Day as part of our long-term partnership to address online bullying and abuse. The anti-cyberbullying campaign features a powerful, call-to-action video starring “Tall Girl” actress, Ava Michelle.

The campaign, launching today in conjunction with Stop Cyberbullying Day, features a series of videos starring Michelle, a firsthand victim of bullying, both in real life and online. The videos share an impactful synopsis of her personal story and inspire viewers to “stop giving hateful words power” and to “cancel online hate together.” Michelle’s career debuted as a star on “Dance Moms” where she was dismissed from the show as too tall, given her 6’2” stature. She went on to find success on “So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation,” and as the lead actress on Netflix’s hit show, “Tall Girl” and its sequel, “Tall Girl 2.”

“I FEEL THAT ONE OF THE BEST THINGS THAT YOU CAN DO WITH THE HARDSHIPS YOU HAVE FACED, IS TO TRULY SHARE THOSE EXPERIENCES WITH OTHERS AND BE ABLE TO LEARN AND GROW TOGETHER. WE MAKE ASSUMPTIONS THAT WE ARE ALONE IN WHAT WE ARE GOING THROUGH, BUT IT’S SO IMPORTANT TO KNOW THAT WE AREN’T AND IT’S GOING TO BE OK. I AM SO THANKFUL TO URBAN DECAY FOR ASKING ME TO BE A PART OF SUCH A WONDERFUL PROJECT AND FOR ALWAYS BEING A COMPANY THAT WANTS TO DO GOOD. I AM BEYOND PROUD OF WHAT WE MADE!”

Ava Michelle, Actress

Cybersmile and Urban Decay’s three-year partnership was announced in September 2021 and has been designed to develop education and support resources for important issues associated with cyberbullying and mental health. The first educational element premiered in February 2022 with six interactive Urban Decay x Cybersmile education modules and an accompanying digital changemaker toolkit, available for free to users of all ages. With the goal of reaching 500,000 people online, this education walks users through simple, impactful materials on everything from “Allyship on Social Media” to “Dealing With Online Bullying” to “Becoming a Changemaker.”

“WE ARE EXCITED TO WELCOME THE ‘WORDS HURT IRL’ CAMPAIGN TO MARK STOP CYBERBULLYING DAY. THIS CAMPAIGN WILL HELP TO FURTHER RAISE AWARENESS OF CYBERBULLYING AND ITS IMPACT ON PEOPLE AROUND THE WORLD. THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH URBAN DECAY, WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DEVELOP COMPREHENSIVE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES TO HELP THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE LEARN ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CYBERBULLYING, AND ARE GRATEFUL TO AVA FOR SHARING HER PERSONAL STORY, HAVING BEEN AFFECTED BY ONLINE ABUSE FIRSTHAND.”

Dan Raisbeck, Co-Founder, The Cybersmile Foundation

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