The 27-year-old says she's 'copped a lot of flak' as a result of the show and has even received death threats on social media.
In an emotional interview on A Current Affair, Rankin broke down as she opened up about being bullied.
'It wasn’t little bits and pieces; it was a lot – mean stuff. From my appearance to the things they would do to me in the street – how they would assault me. Wishing that I was dead. Even though it’s words; words still carry a lot of weight,' she revealed.
'It’s easy to say screw the haters but they are pretty serious threats. I was crying a lot.'
The personal trainer says the backlash she received made her parents 'ropeable' but she felt powerless to rectify the situation.
'My mum and dad were ropeable. I just feel really bad for them because everything, it’s all on the internet, ' she said. 'It was really hard watching them feel so helpless.'
Rankin took a break from social media earlier this year, explaining to her fans in a YouTube video why she felt the need to go offline.
'Copping a really large amount of hate is something I am really not used to, and to be honest it really shook me,' she explained.
'That's why I've been distant and silent.'
Tearing up, Davina revealed that she has been going through a 'tough' and 'traumatic' time in her life, but wanted to thank her 'fans, friends, followers and clients' for helping her through.
This article originally appeared on New Idea.
