Portia de Rossi previously talked about her struggles with anorexia.
In 2010, Ellen DeGeneres’ wife told People that she has struggled with self-acceptance her whole life. It also took Portia de Rossi some time to admit that she was sick. Back then, she only weighed 82 pounds.
“But at the time, I thought, ‘Okay, my arms look awful so I should cover them up, but my legs look pretty okay now.’ I didn’t think I was crazy to only eat 300 calories a day. That made perfect sense to me,” she said.
Portia de Rossi suffered from anorexia and bulimia
In her book, Unbearable Lightness de Rossi revealed that she suffered from anorexia and bulimia while she was starring in Ally McBeal.
“My struggle with anorexia, coming to terms with my sexuality, I realized I had struggled with self-acceptance my whole life. To be able to get to a point where you’re just happy with who you are, I think that’s when you know what real peace feels like,” she said.
De Rossi also starved herself before she would binge while preparing for castings and auditions. Her eating disorder became so bad to the point that she was diagnosed with cirrhosis, osteoporosis, and organ failure.
Ellen DeGeneres thinks Portia de Rossi is amazing
While speaking with Oprah Winfrey, DeGeneres said that there was a time when her wife didn’t like herself.
“I mean, she absolutely hated herself. I don’t know, I look at her and I just think, ‘How did you ever – I mean, how did you not know how amazing you were?’ It’s heartbreaking,” she said.
Portia de Rossi entered rehab but it didn’t stop her weight from plummeting. After all, there were days when she would overeat, and other days when she would become severely bulimic.
The actress credits Ellen for helping and loving her
The Scandal star also credited DeGeneres for helping her during her darkest days. De Rossi said that she and DeGeneres met while she was 168 pounds, and the comedian loved her.
“She only saw the person inside. My two greatest fears, being fat and being fat and being gay, when realized, led to my greatest joy. When I sit quietly and silently thank the universe for all the blessings in my life, I start with Ellen and end with my thighs. I thank my body for not punishing me for what I put it through and for being a healthy vessel in which I get to experience this beautiful life,” she said.
Portia de Rossi also said that her wife’s love for her was so unconditional that it made her realize that she should also start accepting and loving herself.
Images used courtesy of Pulicciano / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0) and Angela George / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)