Bob Morley Reveals 'Brutal' Body Dysmorphia, Past Eating Disorder: 'It’s Unrelenting' (Exclusive)
“It’s incessant, this idea of what I'm supposed to look like,” the actor said
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Bob Morley in December 2023.Bob Morley revealed that he’s been dealing with lifelong issues surrounding body dysmorphia.
In PEOPLE's exclusive clip from the June 25 episode of Tommy DiDario’s I’ve Never Said This Before podcast, The 100 star opened up about the personal topic.
“There’s something that I have actually never really talked about . . . I think my entire life I’ve struggled with a form of body dysmorphia,” the 39-year-old shared. “I train so much, exercise is such a huge part of my mental health and sometimes it’s probably too much. There’s battles that I have in the morning, like, I get up and then I workout, I’m like, ‘You look great. You look like you feel great.’ And then I have lunch and I’m like, ‘You're a slob. You’re this, you’re that. I don’t want to see what I look like.’
“It’s brutal. The back and forth of this kind of body dysmorphia and the comparisons to other people,” he continued. “It’s incessant, this idea of what I'm supposed to look like.”
Body dysmorphia is a mental health disorder in which a person can't stop thinking about a perceived defect or flaw in their appearance, according to the Mayo Clinic. The disorder can cause anxiety and distress, making it difficult to function in social situations and daily life.
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Morley said that when he was a teenager, he experienced an eating disorder and that even today, navigating his dysmorphia is an everyday battle.
“I don’t know the answer to it,” he admitted. “It’s something that I’ll have to work on and learn to be kind to myself but I think it comes in many different forms and just trying to find that peace within yourself.”
The CW star said he initially thought his struggle may be a result of being in the entertainment industry, but he knows that many people go through similar experiences.
“I think a lot of people go through this on a day-to-day basis, and it’s unrelenting — this kind of perception of self,” he said. “I think we’re all going through that struggle, and it’d be nice to give ourselves some grace.”
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During the show — which is currently #2 on Apple Podcast Charts in entertainment news — Morley’s wife and former The 100 costar Eliza Taylor said that she has witnessed Morley's challenges over the years.
“He’ll literally be looking at himself in the mirror and seeing something that isn't there. And I go, ‘What are you talking about? You’re so fit and beautiful,’ ” said Taylor, who also discussed her own “really dark” year-long battle with postpartum depression.
Morley added that he often has to remind himself: “You can be gentle to yourself.”
If you or someone you know needs mental health help, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 to be connected to a certified crisis counselor. If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, please go to NationalEatingDisorders.org.
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