Gabourey Sidibe Opens Up About Struggling With an Eating Disorder

Gabourey Sidibe is opening up battling an eating disorder and depression.

The 37-year old American Horror Story star shared her experience in a sneak peek for an upcoming episode of Taraji P. Henson‘s Facebook Watch series, Peace of Mind with Taraji.

Gabourey told her Empire co-star, “It wasn’t even about other people. It was about me surviving the day. I was so embarrassed and I hated crying so much. I hated it.”

She added that compliments about her weight loss at the time further fueled her eating disorder. The actress said she now realizes that bulimia was a “self defense mechanism.”

“That’s what bulimia was for me. It wasn’t about losing weight. It wasn’t about controlling my appetite,” Gabourey explained. “It truly was about how it stopped me from crying.”

She continued, “I was getting worse,” she says. “Being depressed is one thing. If you add an eating disorder to that, that’s a whole other monster that you have to fight.”

Fans can watch Gabourey‘s full interview with Taraji on January 25 on Facebook Watch.

Gabourey got engaged to Brandon Frankel late last year – click here to read her sweet Instagram post about him.