Olivia Jade talks admissions scandal, defends work ethic: 'I did put in a lot of work'
Olivia Jade Giannulli is setting the record straight – again.
During the first 2022 episode of her podcast, "Conversations with Olivia Jade," the former "Dancing With the Stars" contestant invited psychologist Dr. Hillary Goldsher to share some New Year’s advice. During one segment of the episode, Olivia Jade, 22, read from a list of comments and reviews of her podcast to start a dialogue about navigating criticism and negative feedback.
"Even when I started YouTube pre-college scandal, pre-being in the media so much, I felt like I always promised myself, 'You're gonna focus on the positive, and we’re gonna try and stay away from the negative just for my own mental sanity,' " she said prior to reading the reviews.
"I want people to relate to this and get something out of it; I too have to be vulnerable and open for that to happen," she said referring to the theme of the episode, following Goldsher's advice of acknowledging one's personal struggles.
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One of the comments Olivia Jade read called into question her personal work ethic because of her celebrity status, a comment the YouTuber said she receives frequently: "What has she done to work hard ever? She’s Lori’s daughter."
"I am super aware that I have been given opportunities because of my parents, and I know that I live a very blessed and fortunate and privileged life, but then there's also a part of me that feels ... it's tricky," Olivia Jade said. "It's hard to speak on because I know that to the average human, I have it easy."
She defended her work ethic, citing the effort she's put into her YouTube channel as well as maintaining her high school GPA.
"There is a big misconception about me, I feel like at least personally, where I get that comment of, 'You don't work hard,' " she added. "But I didn't have to start my YouTube when I was 14; I did put in a lot of work. There's always rumors floating around about my grades — 'She clearly didn't work hard. She must have failed school.' "
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Olivia Jade continued: "I don't even think I've ever said this publicly, but in high school I had straight A's and I worked really hard at school."
This is not the first time she has strived to prove she is a hard worker.
During a video segment on “DWTS,” she vowed to reveal another side of herself through her participation in the reality competition series. "I’m not trying to pull a pity card, but I need to move forward and do better," she said at the time. "I just want to show people I have a different side to me: I have a strong work ethic."
During the Jan. 3 podcast episode, Olivia Jade also opened up about therapy as a helpful tool in coping with the fallout of her parents' college admissions bribery scandal.
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"I started (therapy) a few years ago when things went sideways in my family and with the college scandal," Olivia Jade said. "I just needed somebody to talk to. If you have the resource and you can, I would really recommend it."
She also explained that therapy has allowed her to become more aware of unresolved issues in her life, defying her initial expectations of therapy as a whole.
"When I first started (therapy), I wanted it to be good and everything to be healed and all this to work overnight or within a week's span," she said. "And I feel like it's been years, and I'm still dealing with things and I still have so many questions."
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Contributing: Bryan Alexander