Tom Daley remembers eating disorder fight during early diving pressure

Tom Daley revealed that the body obsession of the athletes during his early career led him to develop an eating disorder and body dysmorphia. In an interview to Radio Times (released Oct. 27), the 31-year-old artist described the 2011 competition season when the people in the British diving “were not only seeing me as a diver but also what I actually looked like,” and he was told that he was “overweight.”
Daley, who is married to Dustin Lance Black and has two sons Robert “Robbie” Ray, 7, and Phoenix Rose, 19 months, was bewildered by the criticism and took it to heart. He confided that he had “cut out food” to slim down after being “overweight” was the only thing he was told. The drastic limitation only made his conflicts with food and body image more severe, instead of alleviating them.

Tom Daley reveals eating disorder and pressure from Olympics

Tom Daley says that the harsh criticism of his looks in 2011 was the main reason for his eating disorder and body dysmorphia during his early diving career. “I was told that I was fat,” the 31-year-old told Radio Times and he started removing food from his diet in order to lose weight. “I was just not fueling myself appropriately,” Daley clarified — he wasn’t eating enough to train, which resulted in bingeing and a period of bulimia.
In spite of these problems, he kept on competing and won bronze at the 2012 London Olympics, a success that came with a lot of pressure. “It was a home Olympic Games. When was I ever going to have a chance be able to dive in front of a home crowd again, with all my friends and family there?” Daley said.
Currently, he talks openly about his past to raise awareness and motivate people to seek help.

Tom Daley: 2012 Olympics pressure came with a heavy weight, “I felt like I was carrying the whole of British diving on my shoulders”

Adding to the legendary event, he said, “I was very much aware that the money for British diving was literally on my shoulders because if we didn’t win a medal, the money for diving was going to be drastically reduced.” In a way, Daley confessed that he was very overwhelmed by the magnitude of the achievement, and he ‘didn’t have anybody to talk to’ regarding his panic and eating disorder.
Working on his recovery only after meeting Dustin – they got married in 2017, after being together for four years – Daley said, “My husband has always been very instrumental in that.” He also pointed out the issue of body image in the gay community: “I think it’s a major thing in the gay world if I’m being totally honest. Some people set very unrealistic body goals.”

Famous People Who’ve Talked About Mental Health

Gucci Mane says his diagnosis made him focus on his mental health

In his book, Episodes: The Diary of a Recovering Mad Man, Radric “Gucci Mane” Davis, the rapper, confided that after a 2020 mental-health crisis, he was diagnosed
with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. He described it on The Breakfast Club as an ”incident that made me hold myself accountable and take care of my health” manner of thing. Furthermore, he uttered: “I don’t never want to be in an episode again. I will definitely go to a therapist, [even] if I have to take medicine, I will do it.”
Gucci Mane mentioned that his family, wife Keyshia Ka’Oir and their children Ice Davis and Iceland Ka’oir Davis, was the reason he decided to get help. “My wife was pregnant with my little boy,” he recalled. “I do not want to bring up a family and then lose my mental health. What if I have an episode from which I cannot come back? So, I just started doing the work and seeking help.”

Penn Badgley shares his struggle with body dysmorphia during his childhood

In an interview with The Guardian in April 2025, actor Penn Badgley remembered his time growing up in front of the camera when he said it left him struggling with “body dysmorphia”. “I know that I hated my body,” he explained, “and just wanted a different one.”
Thinking back to the time after his parents’ divorce, Badgley said that the extra weight he put on was a factor in the idea that ‘the more conventionally beautiful I looked, the more successful I might be, the more I might be valued’. He talked about going through depression and isolation and then being thrown into a world that judged appearance as one’s worth.
In spite of those difficulties, Badgley acknowledged that his faith was what helped him to endure and change: “It is what kept me going through the disillusionment, the things I was struggling with, and then to come back to it all again, but with hopefully some kind of inner change.”

Eliza Coupe on food struggles and recovery

The Scrubs alum shares that food was her “drug of choice,” along with her over‑exercising and bulimia, and credits yoga, diet changes, and mindfulness for her healing
Eliza Coupe has not shied away from acknowledging her struggle with food: “Some may call it an eating disorder, I just call it my life. My drug of choice was always food. I did crazy s–t with it,” she told The Funny Thing Is podcast, also saying that she once “over‑exercise[d]” and that “there was a sprinkle of bulimia in there.” Coupe states that she made a turnaround by cutting sugar, quitting drinking and embracing yoga, breathing, and stretching — referring those activities as “the best Ritalin you could give anyone.” She talked about herself as a food- and body-image-disordered actress who is actively working to heal and treat her body in a natural way.

Candace Cameron Bure on battling depression: “It’s very difficult to speak out about it”

The Full House alum admits that even with the trusted people, she felt that telling her depression was a sign of weakness
Candace Cameron Bure revealed on her own podcast: “Candace Cameron Bure Podcast” that she had a tough time sharing her feelings even with the people she trusted the most, and it is “very difficult to speak out about it, even to your most trusted people.” She also said that she is a person who has the ‘be strong’ mentality and thus when she admits to having a hard time it feels “so weak” to her.

Billie Eilish on mental health: patience and putting a shield around her energy

Grammy winner reveals that she keeps her serenity in the online world and asks for patience from people who are in need of help
In her usual fashion, Billie Eilish has not hesitated to reveal how she protects her energy, which also includes not listening to the negative comments of her online critics, and at the same time giving advice to people who are struggling. In an interview with Vogue, when asked what she would say to someone seeking mental-health help, she mentioned that the main thing is patience: “I had patience with myself. I didn’t take that final step. I waited. Things get better.”

Katy Perry: pandemic led to “waves of depression” — “my car is my safe space”

The “Firework” singer reveals that isolation impacted her mental health, and she found solace in her car
While everyone was trying to make the best of social distancing, Katy Perry confessed that the new reality was very stressful for her. “Sometimes I really don’t know which is worse – trying to avoid the virus or the waves of depression that come with this new normal,” she posted on Twitter. In order to get rid of such depressive episodes, she said that she frequently withdrew to her car which she referred to as “my safe space.”

Kendall Jenner talks about anxiety and unites with Kenneth Cole for mental health awareness

The model during her appearance on Good Morning America talked about her repeated panic attacks and encouraged people not to feel lonely
Kendall Jenner — who partnered with designer Kenneth Cole to create awareness for The Mental Health Coalition — went on to say that on Good Morning America she struggled anxiety. After the onset of her panic attacks, she “finally kind of got the information that I needed about it,” she shared. Jenner admitted that she “has good days and… really anxious days,” and stated that her reason for being involved in the campaign is to help others not to feel so lonely. “The thing I most want to achieve is that people do not feel so alone,” she said.

Dwayne Johnson: “You are not alone” — shares his story of depression

The superhero movie actor encourages guys to let their guard down and talk, pointing out that depression “can hit anyone, even the most powerful””
Dwayne Johnson opened up about his fight with depression and he strongly encouraged people to do the same, men in particular. On Twitter, he said, “We all go thru the sludge/shit and depression never discriminates,” and also mentioned that it took him a while to understand that it was necessary to let others know his personal situation. “Especially us dude

Prince Harry: “After you actually start discussing it, you realize… that you’re kind of a member of quite a big club”

The Duke of Sussex conveys in an interview with The Telegraph that therapy was instrumental in breaking the stigma that he had around mental health
In a conversation with The Telegraph, Prince Harry was very candid about his own therapy journey and how open and honest talking about mental health made him realize that he was not isolated. “The main point in my life that I have seen is that once we start talking about it, we realize that in fact we are members of quite a big club,” he told the media, encouraging those in need of support to get help and also share their experiences.

Taraji P. Henson uses therapy and advocacy as weapons against her depression

The Empire actress confided that therapy is what keeps her from losing her mind and she launched a nonprofit to help eliminate the stigma in the Black community
Taraji P. Henson has been very depressed but at the same time, she has been very brave and has shared her struggle with depression. In her disclosure to Variety, she said, “I have a therapist that I talk to. That’s the only way I can get through it.” Besides, she founded The Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation to address the problem of mental-health stigma in the African American community and to raise the number of Black therapists.

Lorde claims that MDMA and psilocybin therapy alleviated her eating disorder and stage fright

The Grammy winner explained to Rolling Stone that psychedelic‑assisted treatment and quitting birth control helped her mental‑health and gender understanding grow
Lorde revealed to Rolling Stone in May 2025 that a combination of MDMA and psilocybin therapy was instrumental in resolving an eating disorder as well as overpowering stage fright, which she described as being able to “tour without stage fright for the first time.” She spoke of a deeply physical change—“a hook around my guts” and a feeling of the pressure in the room changing”—that made her feel more deeply connected to the music. Additionally, Lorde asserted that discontinuing birth control released a tightly binding feminine feeling: “I felt like… I was off the map of femininity,” which change allowed her to feel more gender and identity fluidity.

Lili Reinhart: Therapy and family support “literally saved my life”

The Riverdale star after a fight with anxiety and depression she strongly promotes therapy and help seeking
Lili Reinhart shared on her Instagram in 2017, “Severely anxious and depressed I was when I was in middle school and the supportive and helpful intervention from my family and a therapist was what saved my life.” She also stated that the very first thing to do is to ask for help and to remind people, “You are more valuable to this world than you will ever realize.”

Carly Pearce shares insights on renewed therapy for lifelong OCD

Anxiety and obsessive-compulsive disorder, as per Carly Pearce, are her constant companions since her childhood. In an interview for Bunnie Xo’s Dumb Blonde podcast aired in August 2025, the “What He Didn’t Do” singer recounted that she initially thought her anxiety was a result of her COVID-era divorce but later realized it was a long-standing issue: “I’ve had crippling OCD since I was a child.”
Pearce talked about how she “zipping it up and dealing with it” for years but eventually got to a point where she had to confront those issues directly. “A couple years ago I just had to really start back into therapy, start really, like, trying to figure out all of these different things,” she recalled, also pointing out that it wasn’t a new thing for her to recognize that she had OCD — “that didn’t come in 2020, that’s been there since I was 6 or 7.”

Kristen Bell shares mental‑health toolkit

The Frozen star advocates discovering what works – medication, gratitude lists and regular exercise
Kristen Bell has been very vocal in her support of mental health and has often advised people to develop their own unique ways of handling their problems. In an interview with Health, she revealed that her coping mechanisms are taking medication when necessary, making a list of 10 positive things for every negative thought and keeping fit by doing a lot of exercise – all of which are her favorite activities that she also talks in her public lectures and shares on Instagram Stories.

Chrissy Teigen about postpartum depression: “I wouldn’t want those having it to be ashamed or to feel isolated”

The author of the cookbook confesses that revealing her struggle made it easier and she now encourages others to get help
Chrissy Teigen has been very open about her struggle with postpartum depression and in a letter published in Glamour in 2017 she wrote that “every time it was hard but it got easier and easier to say it aloud.” She also said that she wants everyone to know that “postpartum depression can happen to any one of us” and that she doesn’t want those who suffer from it to feel embarrassed or alone.

Cara Delevingne shares her experience with depression as a teen and how she learned to be happy alone

The model‑actor reveals she had suicidal ideations during her adolescence and later taught herself to find happiness within
While promoting her book Mirror, Mirror to The Edit, Cara Delevingne shared that she was depressed and had suicidal thoughts when she was a teenager and that she had a “dark thing” during that period. “I used love too much, other people too much for making me happy and I had to learn to be happy by myself,” she recounted (via W). Delevingne also mentioned that it took her a very long time but now she can be alone and be happy.

Ariana Grande: “Therapy has literally saved my life” – A cry for fans to get help

The artist prescribes help to any person who is scared to ask for it and as therapy helped her to deal with her trauma, she did it too.
Ariana Grande communicated to a Twitter follower that therapy “has saved my life so many times,” and she encouraged fans not to hesitate in asking for help. In her reply, she said quite honestly that “you don’t have to be in constant pain” and that it is possible to work through one’s trauma – she admitted that she still has a lot of work to do but emphasized that becoming aware is the very first step.

Demi Lovato on recovery: “This life is a journey — you can’t give up”

The artist shares her story addiction, sobriety and the ongoing work of mental health
Demi Lovato has shared publicly and repeatedly her battle with addiction, recovery, and mental health challenges through her music and personal life. She always makes it clear to her audience that progress is not step by step and that slipping back is part of the process.
“If anyone needs a reminder of their struggles — life is a journey with many highs and lows but giving up is not an option,” she wrote on Instagram, encouraging her followers to carry on even when they couldn’t stand their days.

Zendaya on anxiety and self-care: “Sometimes you just have to take a step back”

The Euphoria star has talked about anxiety in her life and has figured out how to deal with it by taking breaks and gaining perspective
Zendaya, who has gone through characters that struggle with mental health issues, especially Rue in Euphoria, has also admitted quite openly that she has anxiety. Back in 2013 she wrote that a technical malfunction on Ellen made her upset, and since then she has come up with ways to handle such situations. “Sometimes you just have to take a step back so things stop stressin’ you,” she said, stressing the point of taking a break and being careful with your mental space.

Selena Gomez: Medication “completely changed” my life”

The artist shares with WSJ Magazine that her erratic extreme highs and devastating lows got her a diagnosis and treatment that works
Through this interview with WSJ Magazine, Selena Gomez recalled her unstable mental health condition like a roller-coaster: “My highs were extremely high, and my lows would take me for weeks, I couldn’t get out of them.” She mentioned that diagnosis confirmed the presence of mental-health issues in her and that starting the right medication “completely changed” her life.

Lady Gaga: “Secrets keep you sick” — supports self-help through being kind and open about shared mental health issues

The Grammy-winning artist shared at the Empathy Rocks fundraiser that healing from mental-health struggles through transparency and kindness
Lady Gaga has continually made it a point to communicate openly about mental health which she considers to be a significant part of her operating. When she was presented with the Global Changemakers Award at the Children Mending Hearts’ Empathy Rocks fundraiser in 2018, she recalled that she had “struggled for a long time, both being public and not public about my mental health issues,” and went on to pledge: “I really think that secrets keep you sick.” As a result, she has devoted her influence to the promotion of empathy, the provision of support, and the eradication of stigmas that hinder the issue of talking about mental health.