In the world of celebrity, eating disorders are not uncommon. But the question remains: why should we care? Celebrities who have come clean about their own struggles with eating disorders both humanize the phenomenon and help shine a light on recovery for those who are currently in the throes of their own illness. Here are nine stars that have opened up about recovering from an eating disorder.
Demi Lovato
The outspoken former Disney Channel star has long been upfront about her battles with bulimia and substance abuse. After punching a backup dancer in 2010, the singer checked into rehab where she was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and bulimia. Today, the star is both sober and an advocate for body positivity.
Zayn Malik
Everyone’s favorite smoldering singer revealed this year he struggled with anorexia while with One Direction. Malik’s disclosure is all the more important because eating disorders among men are much maligned and subject to intense taboo. Today, Malik says he is recovered and his eating habits have returned to normal.
Evanna Lynch
Luna Lovegood herself is in recovery from anorexia, proving that even Madam Pomfrey can’t fix everything. Lynch said in an interview that her experience with ED surfaced when she was just 11. Now, she says having others reach out to her about their struggles with disordered eating empowered her to recover.
Kesha
Amidst her issues with Dr. Luke, our girl Ke dollar sign Ha was also battling an eating disorder. She went to an ED rehab in 2014 and has since recovered and continued to improve her health and wellbeing with meditation and mindful exercise.
Zosia Mamet
Yes, Shosh has struggled with ED as well. The Girls actress says her disordered eating dates back to when she was just 8-years-old and that her mother’s own issues with food only served to exacerbate the issue. Today, Mamet is in recovery and wrote an excellent column for Glamour about her experiences with anorexia.
Shawn Johnson
Too often the issue of eating disorders among athletes is pushed aside or ignored. Shawn Johnson, who flipped her way to two medals at the 2008 Olympics, is not immune. The gymnast says at one point she was restricting her diet to a mere 700 calories in order to get the “lean” gymnast look. Today, she’s retired as a gymnast and much happier–but hopes that today’s athletes won’t fall victim to the same body image pressures she did.
Portia de Rossi
Yes, Portia de Rossi, also known as the woman lucky enough to be married to Ellen DeGeneres (and Lindsay Bluth) suffered from bulimia early in her career. She continued to struggle with ED later in her late, and has since written a book about her recovery, called Unbearable Lightness.
Hilary Duff
Like many a teen star, Hilary Duff was not immune to the pressures that come with Disney Channel and has since become very open about her descent into “obsessing” about her weight. With age comes wisdom, however, and Duff says now she’s more focused on being a mother and enjoying her life, rather than counting calories.
Russell Brand
Everyone’s favorite bad boy has been very open about his past struggles with bulimia–along with his rampant drug abuse and other sketchy behaviors. Brand says his bulimia began at age 11 and even then he knew it was something boys didn’t do. Though he wrestled it under control for a time, it returned later in his life when he was in rehab. Today, the wild child is (mostly) under control and even has a fiancé.