Since making her debut as Veronica Lodge on Riverdale, actress Camila Mendes has been open with fans about her past eating disorder experience. When reflecting on her body image during the CW show’s first season, she recalled feeling “insecure” when each new installment would air.
“I would watch every episode and be like, ‘Oh my God, my stomach there,'” Camila shared on Dear Media’s “Going Mental” podcast in January 2023, noting that doing so “really fueled my eating disorder.”
Through therapy, the Do Revenge star said that she’s been able to overcome these past struggles and help “heal.” However, still remembered what it was like during the early days of her career.
“When you’re in your early 20s, like, your body is fluctuating … my body hadn’t settled into itself yet,” Camila said. “I was looking at myself, picking myself apart, my stomach, you know, my arms, my chin, anything — I would, like, obsess over [it] … It kind of got in the way of my acting, because when I was acting on camera … it really f–ks with your process.”
She continued, “I was really afraid of eating carbs. And what would happen is I would avoid it for a long period of time, and then I would binge and eat a bunch and then purge. So it was this, like, terrible cycle.”
Seeing a therapist helped Camila by “reintroducing bread into my life.” She added, “Now, it’s something that rarely comes up in therapy.”
Previously, the Palm Springs actress explained that she is so open about her struggles for her fans.
“They feel like watching somebody else who has gone through it gives them hope that they can recover on their own and come to terms with their own problems,” Camila told Women’s Health in October 2019. “I’ve met so many people who have reached out to me and in passing who have thanked me for speaking up about it because it made a difference in their lives.”
At the time, the star recalled that depriving herself of certain foods “was what really f–ked with my happiness,” explaining that seeing both a therapist and nutritionist was what helped her in the long run.
Scroll through our gallery to read Camila’s most honest quotes about her struggles.
If you or someone you know struggles with an eating disorder, visit the National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders (ANAD) website or call their hotline at (888)-375-7767 to get help.
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