I auditioned for 'American Idol' at 17. They told me, 'No.'

Being the person I am, you know, the size I am, being a woman, being a black woman, there's not a lot of roles for us.

So I want to let women of all sizes out there know, you can do whatever you put your mind to. It doesn't matter what size you are, what color you are, you can do whatever, whatever, whatever you put your mind to!

I want to encourage young women to stand up for each other and speak up when they see others in a tough situation.

I haven't personally experienced bullying, but when I was in high school, I had a best friend who became a bully. I took a stand and took it upon myself to separate from her. I couldn't be associated with her because it wasn't the type of person I wanted to be.

I auditioned for 'American Idol' at 17. They told me, 'No.'

Not having a private life is hard.