KJ Apa opens up on severe eating disorder as he shares 'gnarly' McDonald's story
Warning: This article contains discussion of eating disorders which some readers may find distressing.
KJ Apa, the star of the TV show Riverdale and upcoming Jimmy Stewart biopic Jimmy, has opened up about struggling with a severe eating disorder during filming of the popular CW show, also stating that he is sober due to substance abuse issues.
Apa spoke out about his issues in a podcast with his former co-star Dylan Sprouse on his Wildmen podcast with Brendan Columbus.
Discussing his feelings about fame and celebrity, Apa stated he had been sober for a ‘year and a half’, before going on to add: “It’s been six years of on and off, anything that makes me feel good, I will abuse. It’s something that I’ve learned about myself.”
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The New Zealand-born actor when filming Riverdale had a ‘bad relationship’ with food, stating that craft services on sets would lead him to ‘eat donuts all day long’ then go back to his trailer and throw up.
He then stated he was going to tell a ‘gnarly story’, saying that ‘it's the perfect way to explain that addictive quality [he] I had that [he] will always have’.
The actor, who played Archie on the CW show, recounted how he had been quarantined in Vancouver whilst preparing to return to the show for two weeks, a situation that is incredibly difficult for people struggling with addictive personality traits.
Whilst quarantining he stated he decided to stay sober and avoid drinking or smoking weed, and was ‘obsessively’ focused on losing weight as they prepared to return to work.
He continued, adding: “I ordered all of this McDonald's and I ordered like three Big Macs, like a bunch of McNuggets and stuff, fries, milkshake, and it’s like 2:00 a.m.
“I slam like half of it and immediately it's like the regret just hits in. Why did I do that?”
Apa then stated that he took the food outside and ‘p*ssed all over it’ and threw up all the food he had eaten, before saying: “I go back outside about 20 minutes later after lying there in bed being like, ‘I'm hungry again because all the food is now out of my body’, and when you do that, you get hungry again really quickly.
“I go outside, it’s there right, I start eating around the p*ss. I ate the rest of the food and left the soaking p*ss food there. I could have just ordered more food and I needed to have it right now.”
The actor agreed when Sprouse stated he needed to ‘punish himself’, recounting another story from when he was 18 where he tore into trash bags outside a Dunkin Donuts to eat the fresh donuts.
Fans watching the podcast found his stories inspiring, with one comment on YouTube saying: “One could never think someone as extrovert and attractive as KJ could struggle with eating disorders and obsessing over stuff.”
A second comment said: “Kudos to him speaking so candidly about bulimic experiences! Glad he’s in a better place now.”
A comment on Instagram said: “This is an insane type of vulnerability rarely seen about addiction, and especially eating disorders. brave and strong man. recovery is always possible!”
If you've been affected by any of the issues in this article and would like to speak with someone in confidence, call the BEAT Eating Disorders helpline on 0808 801 0677. Helplines are open 3pm-8pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively, you can try the one-to-one webchat.
Topics: Mental Health, Celebrity, TV and Film
Michael Slavin