Portia de Rossi : ‘Scandal’ Star reveals how being put on a diet at 12 led to bulimia

Portia de Rossi has opened up about her battle with bulimia as a teenager.

Used to struggle with eating disorders and body image issues, Portia de Rossi shed tears when recalling the tough times in an episode of “It Got Better” aired on Wednesday, May 13. In an exclusive clip from the episode, which was obtained by Entertainment Tonight, she opened up about her long history with bulimia and anorexia, starting with when she was working as a child model.

“I felt tremendous responsibility when I was 12 years old and I was put on a catwalk,” the 42-year-old entertainer recalled. “My modeling agents had told me to go on a diet. So I didn’t eat for 10 days before then.” She continued revealing, “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.”

At the end of the day, “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,” she said. “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.” Entertainment Tonight quoted Portia as she added, “It makes me emotional just thinking about that day. Ugh. It’s just horrible.”

Agencies/Canadajournal