'New Girl' actress and singer Zooey Deschanel has revealed that she got bullied as a young teen in high school and has to look at it as a positive experience that taught her how to be strong as an adult. 

She told InStyle magazine that someone once spat in her face, which was horrible, but encouraged her to learn how to stand up for herself and to 'snap back' quickly:

"Seventh grade was the ultimate low rock bottom - someone spitting in your face while you are on your way to your locker. Having to fight your way through those years makes you ready for the future. I can snap back, I can make fun of myself before they do- I can do all of it."

The She & Him singer, who recently signed a major recording deal with Columbia Records, went onto add that losing sensitivity is 'sad' because it makes people great at art, but she thinks she has managed to retain enough despite going through hard times in her younger years:

"There's no way I can ever be as sensitive as I used to be, and it's sad to lose any sensitivity because it generally makes people very good at art. I've seen a lot of people turn - sometimes it unlocks who they really are. They turn into celebrities who are separate from themselves. That's OK, but I just don't want to be like that. I have to be normal. My mother wouldn't let me be any other way."

Follow us: @Pressparty on Twitter / Pressparty on Facebook.

Watch a trailer for Deschanel's episode of 'Who Do You Think You Are?' below: