For Internet phenomenon Rebecca Black, becoming an overnight sensation came with one serious side effect — bullying.
The 14-year-old aspiring singer, who became an instant celebrity with her YouTube hit "Friday," revealed to ABC's Nightline that the harassment at school became so intense that she had to be homeschooled. "When I walk by they'll start singing 'Friday' in a really nasally voice," she said of her classmates. "Or, you know, they'll be like, 'Oh hey, Rebecca, guess what day it is?'"
The single became a sensation when it went viral back in March; the song was ridiculed for its lyrics ("Kickin' in the front seat/Sittin' in the back seat/Gotta make my mind up/Which seat can I take?") and had many detractors asking if it was "the worst song ever."
But its unlikely success — it was featured on an episode of Glee and Katy Perry invited Black to appear in her music video for "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" — ultimately led to more serious problems for the tween.
"She certainly did not need that kind of pressure," Black's mother, Georgina Marquez, told ABC of her decision to pull her out of school.
Although she managed to get away from the face-to-face torment from her peers, the Internet is harder to avoid. She is still the constant target of web bullying, including a story in May that claimed she was pregnant. "Waking up to a rumor that you're pregnant is not fun," Black said. "It's just frustrating, because I mean, I'm still, like, excited over my first kiss."
But the young star has managed to keep her head up, revealing, "I've learned that you just can't let it get to you."
