Camila Mendes talks overcoming sexual assault
Riverdale star Camila Mendes reveals she was sexually assaulted during her first year in college.
The actress opens up in a new interview with Women's Health this week.
'I was roofied by someone who sexually assaulted me.'
Camila has the phrase 'to build a home' tattooed on her rib.
She blinks back tears as she explains to the publication, 'I got the tattoo after my freshman year.'
'I had a very, very bad experience; I was roofied by someone who sexually assaulted me.'
Camila vowed that from then on, 'everything in her life would make her feel safe and comfortable.'
The tattoo is there to remind her to, 'strengthen both her sense of self and the environment around her.'
Tackling difficult times in her life
The actress explains how she overcomes difficult times in her life.
'Whenever I feel like I’m going through something difficult, I think about what I can do physically for myself.'
'I danced for seven years, from age 4 to 11.'
'Then I did musicals as a kid, then so much of acting school is movement classes and connecting your breath to your body.'
'Activity has always been an important part of my life.'
'People sometimes put working out first and don’t give their bodies rest.'
'I’ll always choose sleep first. I think it’s just so underrated.'
Camila's struggles with body positivity
The Riverdale star shared her struggles with Bulimia and body positivity last year.
She tells Women's Health, 'I’ve only recently gotten better.'
'I needed professionals I trusted to tell me things that I didn’t know.'
She hopes her story will help others in the same position as her.
'When I was a teenager, there were no role models when it came to body positivity, that simply was not a thing.'
'Being thin was the thing. It’s health that’s important, not appearance.'
She explains further, 'I make choices that are good for me, and not just in my body, but for my soul, for my mind.'
'And sometimes that’s eating ice cream because I want to eat ice cream.'
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Camila's in the middle of shooting season four of Riverdale which returns on the 10th of October.
