Lili Reinhart Opens Up About Mental Health Struggles and Body Dysmorphia

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Lili Reinhart, the 28-year-old actress best known for her role as Betty Cooper on the hit series “Riverdale,” is speaking out about her ongoing struggles with mental health and body dysmorphia. In a recent interview, Reinhart revealed the toll that Hollywood’s pressures have taken on her, particularly during her time on the CW show.

“I really don’t like looking at season six imagery or pictures, because I know that 99 percent of my thoughts were about my body,” Reinhart said. “I was a thousand percent just disassociated through that entire day or scene because my entire inner dialogue is just … ‘Your body’s changing.’”

Reinhart, who landed her breakthrough role at 19, has been an outspoken advocate for mental health awareness. She recently shared her experiences at the White House in 2024, where she delivered a speech on mental health. Despite her public advocacy, Reinhart admitted that she continues to face personal challenges.

“That’s the ironic thing that people don’t see,” she told Self magazine. “I’m literally in Washington, D.C., at the White House giving a speech on mental health. And then that same night, I am sobbing, in so much discomfort, and feel so defeated.”

Reinhart has been candid about her battles with depression and an eating disorder in the past. In 2019, she opened up about how therapy has helped her cope. “Depression has affected me in so many ways. It’s something that never goes away,” she said. “I have spells of time where I feel completely unmotivated, I don’t want to do anything, and I question myself.”

She emphasized the importance of therapy in her journey. “Seeing the therapist allowed me to be understood. The goal for me has been to always leave therapy feeling a couple of inches taller,” she explained. “Feeling like I’ve alleviated myself of a problem by learning how to solve it.”

In 2023, Reinhart took to social media to criticize Hollywood’s obsession with body image, particularly the glorification of extreme thinness. “I wish there were more average-sized arms represented in mainstream media for women,” she wrote on X (formerly Twitter). “My body dysmorphia has been going crazy because I feel like my arms need to be half the size they are currently.”

Reinhart also reflected on her ongoing journey toward self-acceptance. “My body has carried me through 25 years of life,” she wrote in a heartfelt post. “All my scars, tears, trauma… I wish I could love it more, even when it doesn’t look like it did when I was 20. But I am trying. I know my body deserves equal love and admiration at any size.”

Despite the challenges, Reinhart remains committed to advocating for mental and physical health. “I feel strong and happy about the mental health advocacy that I’ve done,” she said. “And I feel happy that I’m about to bring physical health into that conversation, because I know that getting help for women over the next four years is going to be exponentially more difficult.”