Lili Reinhart Gives Powerful Speech About Her Mental Health Issues, Body Dysmorphia
Feb. 25 2019, Updated 11:45 a.m. ET
Lili Reinhart gave a powerful speech to her star-studded audience this Tuesday night, when she accepted the Variety + H&M Conscious Award. Standing in front of a crowd of talented individuals, and Hollywood stars, the Riverdale actress spoke about the importance of accepting and loving one’s own imperfections, and being the best role model one can be—without trying to be flawless.
"I'm so honored. As actors, musicians and people with a platform, we are so often called upon to be good role models and to set a good example. With the expectation of being perfect idols, our mistakes are often amplified, our choices are criticized, and our words are scrutinized,” said Reinhart, 21.
That notion scared me for the longest time, because I know I am not perfect, and I knew I was never going to live up to that perfect expectation. So, I wanted to present myself to the world without a filter, and that meant being honest about my own insecurities, my own shortcomings and my own mistakes,” she continued.
Reinhart—who has always been open about her health battles and struggles with mental illness—went on to say that she’s found it surprisingly easy to be open and truthful with her 11 million + social media followers.
“I'm an openly flawed human,” said the actress proudly.
"In accepting this honor, it is important for me to acknowledge all of the fans—all of the young people who I celebrate my successes with—who have given me the power to be honest about my personal experience with body dysmorphia, therapy, bullying and mental health issues,” she said.
RadarOnline.com readers know Reinhart has constantly voiced her insecurities over her changing body—since she cannot fully control her weight changes due to her condition.
She’s also spoken of her issues with depression and anxiety—both which come and go depending on the circumstances going on in her life.
"It came to my attention that so few influencers were actually willing to talk about their flaws, and that's an idea I wanted to challenge. That's when I realized how important it was to stay authentically myself: Imperfect, but still powerful," added Reinhart.
The young actress ended her acceptance speech by telling fans and stars alike to love themselves and be open about their flaws.
“Be conscious of the power we have to change someone else's world, simply by being open about our own faults and creating a caring environment for those willing to share their own experiences," she told the actors in the room.
What do you think of Lili Reinhart’s touching speech? Sound off below!
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