Lily Collins has overcome quite a bit.
While the 28-year-old previously opened up about her past battles with eating disorders in her memoir, Unfiltered: No Shame, No Regrets, Just Me, Phil Collins‘ daughter is once again discussing her hardships for Shape magazine’s July-August 2017 issue. Why?? Well, because, the Rules Don’t Apply actress bravely donned a bikini for the mag’s cover — something she “never dreamed” she’d do!
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The celebuspawn revealed to Shape:
“I never dreamed I’d be posing in a bikini on the cover of Shape. It’s a complete 180 for me. It’s a magazine about what it means to be healthy… I used to see healthy as this image of what I thought perfect looked like├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥the perfect muscle definition, etc. But healthy now is how strong I feel. It’s a beautiful change, because if you’re strong and confident, it doesn’t matter what muscles are showing. Today I love my shape. My body is the shape it is because it holds my heart.”
What a beautiful sentiment. This body confidence comes at particularly important time as her new Netflix movie about anorexia drops on July 14. In fact, it seems as though Collins juggled her emotionally and physically challenging role while writing her candid tell-all.
She continued:
“In October 2015, when I got the book deal, I wasn’t filming anything. Then I got flooded with work. People told me to put the book on hold, but I knew it would be worth it to keep going. And as luck would have it, To the Bone came up… Although I was in recovery for several years before the movie, preparing for the film allowed me to gather facts about eating disorders from professionals. It was a new form of recovery for me. I got to experience it as my character, Ellen, but also as Lily. I was terrified that doing the movie would take me backward, but I had to remind myself that they hired me to tell a story, not to be a certain weight. In the end, it was a gift to be able to step back into shoes I had once worn but from a more mature place.”
Although Lily’s book ended up being “even more honest” than she intended, she’s happy to shine a light on a subject which has been viewed as “taboo.” The brunette stunner added:
“I did consider that talking about my struggles with an eating disorder would overshadow my accomplishments as an actor, but I also knew this was something I needed to do to move forward as a human and an actress. I needed to let go. I’ve always strived to start conversations about taboo subjects with young women. Sharing my story in Unfiltered happened to coincide├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥not strategically!├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥with To the Bone, but I’ve always admired people who are relatable and honest. Having suffered from an eating disorder doesn’t define me; I’m not ashamed of my past.”
We doubt the It-girl’s past will “overshadow” her acting success, especially after this summer. Not only is Lily starring in the highly anticipated flick To The Bone, but she’s also appearing in Okja alongside Tilda Swinton and Jake Gyllenhaal. Oh, and let’s not forget about her new Amazon TV show, The Last Tycoon!
We’re expecting BIG things from Miz Collins in 2017!
[Image via Shape Magazine.]