Perhaps the reason Justin Bieber has been so outspoken in his efforts to reduce the rating for the documentary ‘Bully’ from R to PG-13 is that he was bullied himself. The ‘Boyfriend’ singer made the admission during a chat with Showbiz Tonight.

“I was bullied. I feel like most people in their lifetime have been bullied at some point,” he said. “I think it’s about time that people start making a change. A lot of times principals just let it go, teachers let it go, other students just let it go. But I think this movie is powerful and can help change a lot of lives.”

Bieber was part of the successful online campaign to get the MPAA to lower the rating for ‘Bully,’ which documents bullying in schools. With its new PG-13 rating, kids under 18 will be able to see the film without a parent, potentially exposing the film to a much larger audience of young people.

Bieber’s ‘Born to Be Somebody’ has been used in trailers for the documentary. He previously said, “I think that ‘Bully’ can serve a purpose and there is more to it than the curse words. Thirteen-year-olds can handle a few curse words. It’s really powerful. It should be rated PG-13.” ‘Bully’ premieres in theaters today, April 13.

Watch Justin Bieber Discuss Being Bullied

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