Adwoa Aboah says she hid ‘insecurities’ and ‘shame’ as a teen: ‘I wasn’t white enough, nor was I black enough’

Caption: Adwoa Aboah stars on September cover of ELLE UK – under embargo until the 21st July 2020 Credit: ELLE UK/ Liz Johnson Artur

Adwoa Aboah hid ‘shame’ and ‘insecurities’ when she was growing up, as she feared she didn’t fit in as white or black.

The supermodel, born in Britain to an English mother and Ghanaian-born father, furthermore said to Elle UK of her teen years: ‘I wasn’t white enough, nor was I black enough.

‘Boys weren’t into my braids, so I conformed – painfully relaxing my hair, which didn’t win them over either.’

Discussing growing up, Aboah added: ‘I’d watch from the sidelines as certain friends flourished in social situations, all carefree and glowing, while I quietly hid my insecurities and internalised my shame.

‘I, like many others before and after me, never felt as though I fit in.’

Adwoa says she wanted to ‘conform’ when she was younger (Picture: ELLE UK/Liz Johnson Artur)

The 28-year-old hoped that the ‘attention’ she received when she started modelling would help with her insecurities – but found the opposite was true.

Speaking about her early modelling days, Adwoa added: ‘When I started receiving more attention and external validation, I hoped these superficial markers could carry me through. If I can just put on a façade and keep the messy feelings inside, I thought, they’ll magically disappear. Instead, they followed me into adulthood, compounding over time and pushing me to a dark breaking point.’

Adwoa has gone on to become one of the country’s most famous models (Picture: ELLE UK/Liz Johnson Artur)

If only her younger self could see her now!

Aboah also opened up about her dyslexia struggle, saying she failed a ‘multitude’ of exams.

Read the full interview in the new issue of Elle UK (Picture: ELLE UK/Liz Johnson Artur)

‘According to school standards, I wasn’t academically strong, pressure that was only made worse by my dyslexia and the multitude of exams I failed,’ she explained.

During this climate, readers are able to get ELLE UK delivered to their door, either by purchasing a single copy via www.magsdirect.co.uk/elle, or subscribe today and get 6 issues for £15 at www.hearstmagazines.co.uk.

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