Ileana D'Cruz, who was recently seen in the film The Big Bull, has been quite vocal about battling body-shaming in her life. But do you know that the actress has been dealing with this issue since her childhood? The actress recently spoke about her journey stating that "random people" used to comment on her body from when she was as young as 12. In an interview with Bollywood Bubble, Ileana said, "I remember those days like it was yesterday. It's weird because it's a very deeply ingrained scar. I went through body-shaming right from the time I was 12. I had just hit puberty and growing up. You are hit with these weird comments. And people are passing comments about your body and saying, 'Oh My God, why is your butt so big?' And I am like, 'What do you mean?'..."
Speaking about the horrifying experience, Ileana added that such comments have stayed with her like a "deeply ingrained scar" which she has been carrying with herself for years.
"You think you are fine and then suddenly you have random people saying things about you and you start to believe what they are saying. So, I think it's a deeply ingrained scar because you are carrying it for so many years. It takes a lot of inner strength to tell yourself that what they are saying doesn't matter. What your feel about yourself is most important. And it's something I tell myself every single day," she said.
Ileana D'Cruz battled Body Dysmorphic Disorder and depression at the start of her career. In 2017, the actress had opened up about her journey in an advertisement. She shared, "There was a period, approximately three years ago, I'd go from happy to be completely depressed and not knowing what it was. The most comforting thought was, 'What if I just to end things now.' And I thankfully released that this is not right."
"I was shy, self-conscious person once I hit my teens. I was constantly hit on for my body type. The obsession started when I was 15. My entire life goal was to be accepted by everyone. I think that's what I wanted the most. I never got it," she added.
The same year, Ileana also revealed that she had "suicidal thoughts" at one point in her life. "I used to feel low and sad all the time but didn't know I was suffering from depression and Body Dysmorphic Disorder till I got help. At one point, I even had suicidal thoughts and wanted to end things. However, all of it changed when I accepted myself and what I was going through. I think that is the first step towards fighting depression," Ileana told IANS in 2017.
In terms of work, Ileana D'Cruz will next be seen in Unfair And Lovely alongside Randeep Hooda this year.
Ileana made her Telugu debut in film Devadasu in 2006. Her Hindi debut was Anurag Basu's 2012 film Barfi. Ileana has also worked in films such as Pokiri, Jalsa, Munna, Phata Poster Nikhla Hero,Main Tera Hero, Happy Ending and Pagalpanti among others.
