Kerry Washington Unveils Candid Account of Battle with Eating Disorders Ahead of Memoir Release
Hollywood actress Kerry Washington has courageously shared her journey of grappling with eating disorders and her current healthy relationship with food in anticipation of her forthcoming memoir.
The renowned “Scandal” star delves into her collegiate struggles with an eating disorder in her upcoming book titled “Thicker Than Water.” In the memoir, she candidly discusses how her life became consumed by compulsive exercise and binge eating during that challenging period.
Reflecting on her experience, Washington revealed, “I was good at control. I could party all night and drink and smoke and have sex and still show up and have good grades. I knew how to manage. I was so high functioning.” She went on to describe how her relationship with food spiraled out of control, leading to body dysmorphia and self-hatred. She acknowledged the need for external support, saying, “it really led me to feeling like I need help from somebody and something bigger than me or I am in trouble, because I don’t know how to live with this.”
The 46-year-old actress disclosed, “I could feel how the abuse was a way to really hurt myself, as if I didn’t want to be here. Like, it scared me, that I could want to not be here because I was in so much pain.”
When asked about contemplating suicide during this trying time, Washington bravely confirmed, “Yeah. The behavior was tiny, little acts of trying to destroy myself.”
Washington had previously shared her struggles with an eating disorder in a 2009 interview with Essence, admitting, “I used food as a way to cope. It was my best friend.” She explained how she concealed her unhealthy habits behind her academic pursuits, revealing, “I’d eat anything and everything, sometimes until I passed out. But then, because I had this personality that was driven toward perfectionism, I would tell people I was at the library, but instead go to the gym and exercise for hours and hours and hours. Keeping my behavior a secret was painful and isolating. There was a lot of guilt and a lot of shame.”
Today, Washington asserts that her relationship with food is significantly healthier. She shared, “I mean, I wouldn’t say that I’d never act out with food. It’s just very different now. It’s not to the extreme. There’s no suicidal ideation. That is not where I am anymore.”
Kerry Washington’s memoir, “Thicker Than Water,” is slated for release on September 26, promising an intimate glimpse into her life and her triumph over adversity.