Madonna defied bullies by refusing to shave her armpits

The 53-year-old singer admits she was often ridiculed for her appearance when she was at school and didn`t think she could act like "popular" girls so decided to act in an opposite way.

She said: "The boys in my school would make fun of me. `Hairy Monster`. You know, things like that?And then, going to high school, I saw how popular girls had to behave to get the boys. I knew I couldn`t fit into that. So I decided to do the opposite. I refused to wear make-up, to have a hairstyle. I refused to shave. I had hairy armpits."

The `Gimme All Your Love` singer - who has daughters Lourdes, 15, and five-year-old Mercy, and sons Rocco, 11, and David, six - also admitted she still feels like a school girl because of the pressures to conform in order to be popular.

She told the new issue of Britain`s Harper`s Bazaar magazine: "For some reason, I feel like I never left high school, because I still feel that if you don`t fit in, you`re going to get your ass kicked?That hasn`t really changed for me. I`ve always been acutely aware of differences and the way you are supposed to act if you want to be popular."

sections: Celebrities