American Idol's Crystal Bowersox Was Bullied As A Child

Idol's Bowersox was teased for secondhand clothes, depressed upbringing.

She's the American Idol contestant whom Simon Cowell is calling the one to beat this season, but as a child, sadly Crystal Bowersox wasn't known as a winner. A new source has come forward to expose Bowersox's painful -- and at moments, humiliating -- childhood after her parents divorced.

Bowersox's parents divorced when she was very young, and her childhood and adolescence were full of struggle. A source says, "Those were difficult times for Crystal, her parents divorced when she was a young child and she did not come from a wealthy background or anything like that.

The source added, "When [Bowersox] was part of the swim team she used to have to wear Goodwill bathing suits and the other kids would tease her about that and because she didn't fit in."

It's heartwrenching. Apparently Crystal Bowersox, now 24, has said that she'll do anything in order for her toddler son Tony not to have to endure such pain as he grows up. The source said, "[The teasing] really hurt Crystal and she hopes that her own son won't experience anything like that because she know what it is like to feel like an outsider." With Bowersox's track record on American Idol so far, she might indeed conquer her past.

Bowersox's degree from the Toledo School of Arts and Chicago club experience is paying off on American Idol...but it's not just Bowersox's music profession that's going in her favor -- it's said her personal life is too. While she has split from Tony's father, sources say she has a new love interest who may have given her an engagement ring recently.

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