Nicole Scherzinger, the singer and former X Factor judge, always looked picture perfect onstage with the Pussycat Dolls in her 20s. However, looks can be deceiving. When the spot lights dimmed, Scherzinger says she went to unhealthy measures to stay slim, battling bulimia before finally getting help.
“I had such a great life on the outside, the Dolls were on top of the world, but I was miserable on the inside,” she reveals in the August issue of Cosmopolitan magazine in the U.K. “I’m never letting that happen again.”
Scherzinger who is now 36, went public with her bulimia struggle in 2012 and admits talking about her long-secret eating disorder is still difficult.
“It is such a horrible, paralyzing disease and it was such a dark time for me,” she says. “I didn’t think anyone knew in my group or in my family because I hid it that well, I was so ashamed. I knew it wasn’t normal or healthy because I was hurting myself through this cycle of disordered eating. It was my drug, my addiction. It’s an endless vicious cycle.” (Cosmopolitan Magazine)
It took blacking out while on tour for Scherzinger to see that what she was doing to herself was definitely taking a toll on her body, and most importantly her life. Today, Scherzinger is healthy, but admits that despite her outgoing public persona, deep down she is a shy person.
“I get past my shyness by making everything about others and not thinking about myself,” she says. “That’s what I did on The X Factor – I can be goofy and playful when it’s about the acts. They are like my babies. But when I’m off stage I’m not as big and animated … for me all my smiles and confidence are a triumph because it came from a broken place.” (Cosmopolitan Magazine)
Another thing that makes Ms. Scherzinger smile is her relationship with British Formula 1 racer Lewis Hamilton.
Although many people were unaware of Nicole Scherzinger’s secret bulimia struggle, bulimia is a disorder that effects many young females today. It is great to be fit, slim, and have an amazing beach body, but it is more important to be healthy overall. Nicole deciding to be upfront with her eating disorder and seeking help for it, may encourage someone else to do the same.
(Featured Image courtesy of Cosmopolitan Magazine)
