At first glance, you’d be forgiven for thinking Duckie Thot was a human Barbie doll. The South Sudanese-Australian model’s smooth skin, silky hair, and slender frame are causing a commotion on Instagram – but her road to stardom hasn’t exactly been lined with Dream Houses.

When Nyadak (Duckie) Thot was just 17, she was a frontrunner on the 2013 season of Australia’s Next Top Model. Though it sounds like an empowering experience, Duckie later opened up about the constant torment she faced on social media regarding her natural hair, skin color, and weight, including being called ‘cauliflower head’ by former US Top Model contestant and a famous model Winnie Harlow. “I took quite a few blows as a 17-year-old girl — and it was hard to understand why,” the dark skin model told Teen Vogue in an emotional 2016 interview. She found a mentor in Top Model judge and fellow cyberbullying victim Charlotte Dawson, and though Dawson tragically committed suicide in 2014, Duckie still lives by the photo model’s advice to this day. “That was really my driving force post-show.”

After taking a couple of years off to regain her strength, Duckie came back with the thunder. Now 21 years old, she’s got almost 300 thousand followers on Instagram and is carving out icon status on her terms. Oh, and she’s happily accepted the ‘Barbie’ title given by her fans. Read more about the model’s story below!

More info: Instagram, Twitter

Meet 21-year-old South Sudanese-Australian model Duckie Thot, whom people often confuse for a barbie

You might remember Duckie from the 2013 season of Australia’s Next Top Model, where she was a contestant

Though she was only 17 then, she faced relentless bullying on Twitter over her natural hair and skin colour

After being called cruel names, such as ‘cauliflower head,’ Duckie disappeared from the spotlight for 2 years

After coming back with the thunder, she finally opened up about the painful experiences she went through

“I’ve been molded by absolutely everybody in every corner,” she told Teen Vogue in late 2016

“When I started listening to my own voice, that’s when things really started picking up for me”

The stunning beauty has since relocated from Australia to New York City, and is feeling better than ever

With almost 300 thousand Instagram followers, Duckie is carving out new success on her own terms

“You’ll always have people say negative things about you… what people think about you doesn’t define you”

Real talk – although, Duckie doesn’t seem to mind other people likening her to an iconic doll

What do you think? Did you have to do a double-take? Let us know in the comments!

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