Lili Reinhart defends OCD comment from Tonight Show interview following critcism
18 November 2019, 16:08
Lili made a comment about obsessive compulsive disorder while speaking to Jimmy Fallon which caught some backlash from viewers.
Riverdale and Hustlers star Lili Reinhart has always been a vocal public figure when it comes to having honest and candid discussions about body image and mental health.
Last week, it was revealed that Lili had been included on TIME's 100 Next list, as one of the rising stars shaping their industries and the future. She also recently did a cover interview with Glamour magazine, where she opened up about how depression has affected her life.
READ MORE: Riverdale's Lili Reinhart admits playing Betty Cooper has "damaged" her natural hair
“I’ve experienced depression and anxiety. Not constantly, but I’m still experiencing it,” she shared. “I have spells of time where I feel completely unmotivated, I don’t want to do anything and I question myself...I find that talking about it and sharing my experience with other people, and reminding myself that I’m not alone has been incredibly therapeutic.”
Discussing all her recent successes, Lili stopped by The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last week (Nov 14) but her comment about OCD appears to have been taken the wrong way and now she's taken to Twitter to defend what she said.
Speaking about how she managed to pull off her hilarious vomit scenes in Hustlers, Lili explained that the prop department mixed up a concoction of animal crackers and Sprite to act as fake vomit.
"I thought I was gonna have a problem here because I have this really OCD thing with floaters in water and drinks. Like if my drink has a little floater in it, I'm like [heaves]," Lili explained. "So like, having basically a cup full of something that looked like floaters was my worst nightmare but it was fine."
Following the interview, Lili's comments were clearly met with some backlash because it prompted her to respond and clarify her comment on Twitter.
"I actually do suffer from OCD, it wasn’t just a little quip I made on a talk show," she wrote. "I’ve had OCD since I was in elementary school. So, yes. I do have the right to talk about it. Thanks."
I just want to put out there re: my Fallon interview— I actually do suffer from OCD, it wasn’t just a little quip I made on a talk show. I’ve had OCD since I was in elementary school. So, yes. I do have the right to talk about it. Thanks.
— Lili Reinhart (@lilireinhart) November 18, 2019
OCD (which stands for Obsessive compulsive disorder) can manifest in individuals in several different ways and can be brought on by a multitude of things. It can be incredibly debilitating for those that have been diagnosed with the condition but it's also often used as an off-hand comment by people who don't necessarily have it.
Following Lili's tweet, fans flocked to the replies to thank her for always speaking so openly about her experiences and mental health issues.
"All the negative comments are childish, when they have absolutely no idea or control over the situation," one commenter wrote. "So happy you're openly speaking out about this, because there aren't many people who do so."
Another said: "People never take my ocd seriously. That’s because everyone claims to have it."
Yesterday (Nov 17), Lili also called out a photo editing app "BodyTune" on Instagram for perpetuating unrealistic body image expectations.
Taking to Instagram stories, she wrote, “This is not okay. This is why people develop eating disorders. This is why social media has become hazardous to our health. This is why people have unrealistic expectations of their bodies."
“Looking skinnier on Instagram is not worth the detrimental psychological effects that these photoshopping apps have given our generation.”
Lili, you're doing amazing sweetie.
