PHOTOSCamila Mendes Reveals She Was Roofied And Sexually Assaulted While In College
Camila Mendes is opening up about a traumatic experience she had while studying in college. The Riverdale star got candid in a new interview with Women's Health where she detailed the time she was drugged and was sexually assaulted while attending New York University.
The 25-year-old was a freshman at NYU's Tisch School of the Arts when it happened. She recalled the experience to the magazine.
“I got a tattoo after my freshman year,” she began the interview, talking about the ink she has above her ribcage that spells out, "to build a home." She continued, "I had a very, very bad experience; I was roofied by someone who sexually assaulted me.” The tat is a reminder to “strengthen both her sense of self and the environment around her.”
“Whenever I feel like I’m going through something difficult, I think about what I can do physically for myself,” The Perfect Date star added. "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.”
The CW actress also spoke about her bulimia with the publication. “I’ve only recently gotten better. I needed professionals I trusted to tell me things that I didn’t know,” she explained. “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.”
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Camila added that she wished she had role models growing up and she hopes to be one for young girls struggling through life. “It’s health that’s important, not appearance,” she said. “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.”
The Brazilian beauty has been on a journey to self love and spoke about how she overcame her body insecurities earlier this summer. While talking to People, she said "I just notice a difference when I’m taking care of myself. Everything else in my life feels great. I try to do something for my health every day, even if it’s just resting or taking a bath or making sure I eat spinach at some point. I really do think happiness starts from the inside out.”
If you or someone know needs help, please call the National Sexual Assault Hotline at 1-800-656-4673 or visit rainn.org.
