On September 24, Shailene Woodley appeared on the “SHE MD” podcast, where she talked about her new series, “Three Women,” and also her health struggles. The 32-year-old actress suffered from health issues in her early 20s, which made the filming of the “Divergent” movies especially difficult for her. Although Woodley didn’t reveal her illness, as she believed the diagnosis was personal, she provided further insight into her experience on the podcast.
Shailene Woodley opens up about overcoming undisclosed health struggles
Shailene Woodley didn’t have it easy early on in her acting career. She has previously told The New York Times, “I was very, very sick in my early 20s… a deeply personal, very scary physical situation.” In the recent interview, Woodley revealed that she had to reject several opportunities because of her health struggles as she had to focus on recuperating from her illness. The “Divergent” star noted that at the time she wondered if she would make it out of the ordeal alive.
In the podcast, the actress revealed that the sickness was severe enough that she started to lose her hearing. She also struggled with being out and about as she needed to lie down after walking around for a few minutes. The illness made Shailene Woodley quite weak, which compelled her to lie down or sleep a lot. Moreover, food consumption became a struggle because almost everything used to hurt her stomach. What’s worse is that different doctors provided her with different diagnoses, which didn’t help her case.
Her illness left some permanent scars as well, as “The Fault in Our Stars” actress started being fearful of food due to the constant stomachaches. In the 2020 interview, she told the outlet that she had to spend a few years focusing on healing her mental health. In the podcast, she provided further insight, noting, “…going into the mental f****ry that can happen with that of body dysmorphia and confusion about identity and feeling safe in my own capsule, in my own skin…”
However, Shailene Woodley is in a much better place now healthwise. She isn’t on medication and her body has been doing well running on its own.
