Tallulah Willis Speaks Candidly About Recovering From Eating Disorder: ‘I’m Not Alone’
By Favour Adegoke on February 22, 2024 at 4:30 PM EST
Bruce Willis' daughter, Tallulah, candidly shared her recovery journey from an eating disorder on Instagram, acknowledging the struggle of resisting unhealthy habits.
She previously disclosed her battles with anorexia, depression, ADHD, and borderline personality disorder in an interview, highlighting her path to recovery at Driftwood Rehabilitation Center.
Tallulah Willis Gets Candid About Her Recovery Her Eating Disorder Recovery
In a passionate Instagram post talking about her recovery from an eating disorder, Willis shared heartfelt words with fellow "ED recovery babies," acknowledging the challenges of resisting the allure of unhealthy habits.
She wrote: "I'm having an intense moment of romanticizing unhealthy times and how it felt to move through the day in that size body. Just wanted to voice it because I know (hope) I'm not alone."
In the post, the 30-year-old also shared childhood photos, adding, "This little raggymuffin is so special and it's strange to know that and want to give her abundance and vitality - LIFE! whilst at the EXACT same moment feeling pulled by an old desire, deep down from the pit spot in your belly, to compare to the 'better' version of me. AND it's ok to be in the middle of the messy and not totally have it all sorted yet."
Fans Praise Tallulah Willis For Her Candid Post
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In the comment section of Willis' post, supportive messages poured in, with supermodel Helena Christensen writing: "You're so wise and beautiful inside out ." Ewan McGregor's daughter, Esther, echoed the sentiment, adding: "Thank you for this. Truly a thought that consumes more people than we know."
The actress's sister, Rumer Willis, also shared a heartfelt message that read: "You are magic, your truth is so vital and I'm lucky to be your sister."
Another commenter suggested that the actress should write a book: "Seriously, write a book. You have everything it takes to do it. I can only imagine how many people would find some level of help by reading a memoir."
Amid the outpouring of support, one admirer commended Willis for utilizing her platform for positive change, noting: "I'm so proud of you, T, and the way you use your platform. We need more people like you. Miss you so much."
Tallulah Willis On Her Decision To Talk About Her Eating Disorder
During an appearance on "The Drew Barrymore Show" in November 2023, Willis shared insights into her decision to speak out about her battle with an eating disorder.
Reflecting on the pressures of social media and the visible struggles she faced, she said: "I felt like the things that had occurred in more recent years, I very visibly was struggling with an eating disorder, and because of the age of social media and that was very present and there was actually a tremendous amount of concern for me that I got on my Instagram, and as I'm early in recovery in that, it's interesting to talk about it because I don't know if I had my full footing, I'm just trying every day."
She added: "I wanted to talk about that because I felt like it was really important to share that it was very scary, that it was really hard."
Tallulah Willis Revealed How Her Eating Disorder Started
In a deeply personal essay penned for Vogue in May of the previous year, Willis bravely revealed her battle with anorexia nervosa, a struggle that had plagued her for the past four years.
Alongside her eating disorder, "The Whole Ten Yards" actress candidly discussed grappling with depression, as well as being diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and borderline personality disorder.
She revealed that following her ADHD diagnosis at 25, she was prescribed medication, which inadvertently triggered "appetite-suppressant side effects."
Reflecting on the initial allure of rapid weight loss, she said: "There's an unhealthy deliciousness at the beginning of losing weight rapidly, people are like, 'Oh wow!' And then quickly it turns to, 'Are you okay?' My friends and family were terrified, and I dismissed it."
In 2022, Willis' family "stepped in," leading her to seek treatment at Driftwood Recovery, a rehabilitation center in Texas.
She stated that the pivotal moment marked a turning point in her journey towards recovery, saying: "Recovery is probably lifelong, but I now have the tools to be present in all facets of my life, and especially in my relationship with my dad."