Reneé Rapp Says She Was Body-Shamed While Working on Broadway's Mean Girls
Content warning: This story discusses eating disorders.
Reneé Rapp is looking back on a painful part of her life.
The Sex Lives of College Girls alum reflected on her stint as Regina George on Broadway musical Mean Girls, alleging to The Guardian that she experienced body-shaming from unnamed production staff.
As she recalled in an interview published Aug. 24, members of the crew would "say some vile f--king things to me about my body."
Rapp said the comments worsened her eating disorder at the time. She recalled how her parents had to travel to New York in an attempt to remove her from the musical, citing concerns over her health.
E! News has reached out to the Mean Girls production for comment but hasn't heard back
Ultimately, Rapp left Mean Girls in the height of the COVID-19 pandemic after landing her role as Leighton in Sex Lives of College Girls. (On July 10, series co-creator Mindy Kaling shared that Rapp had parted ways with the show as she delves further into her music career.)
However, her parents' concerns still remain, according to Rapp, who told The Guardian that they are "more worried than they ever have been, because they know more now."
"Eating disorders don't just go away and like, you're healed, like: ‘Sorry, I can eat again, ha ha!' It's a lifelong thing," she said. "There are battles with addiction and whatever everywhere. I still struggle with it, but at least my parents know that I've been taken out of environments that were really harmful to my sickness, which is awesome and a huge win. They worry like hell, but they're chilling, I guess."
The 23-year-old credits Gen-Z for motivating her to speak out about her experiences after saying she suffered "in silence for so many years."
"My generation and the generation that will follow mine is much more open—especially women, non-men, queer people," Rapp said. "I do think I've been afforded more opportunities than women before me, men and queer women before me. This generation is still super mean to each other. But we are more outspoken—and give less of a f--k."
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Eating Disorders Association helpline at 1-800-931-2237.