Portia de Rossi has struggled with anorexia and bulimia for a large chunk of her life.
Body image issues are never easy to deal with, let alone talk about. That’s why it’s so courageous for her to come forward and share her experiences and struggles.
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The 42-year-old Scandal star has been in the entertainment industry since her first credit in 1993, but she recalls being the center of attention before that when she was a child model. She says:
“I felt tremendous responsibility when I was 12 years old and I was put on a catwalk. My modeling agents had told me to go on a diet. So I didn’t eat for 10 days before then.”
This pressure continued to swell for the Arrested Development star, as she recalls:
“I get up on this catwalk, and I’m a little kid, and I’m posing and trying to be sexy and strutting around, and all the other models are making fun of my bushy eyebrows.”
This exact moment seemed to have a major impact on Portia, as it started her down the road of serious health problems with both anorexia and bulimia. She remembers after this horrifyingly embarrassing event:
“I got in the car after that event, and just opened up a bag of my favorite candy and put my whole head in it. And I think, ‘S–t, what have I done? I just undid two weeks worth of dieting.’ I mean, I’m 12 years old. So then I vomit. Erase the feelings with food, erase the food by vomiting…but you’re still left with the shame.”
We can’t imagine the psychological and physical toll this must have taken on her body. To overcome something like this truly takes strength.
We couldn’t be prouder of Portia, especially now that she seems to be doing much better and is in a happier and healthier place. We just hope that her message and story will help bring awareness to an issue many people deal with.
[Image via Entertainment Tonight.]
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