KJ Apa didn’tplan to reveal so much about his personal struggles and is no longer shying away from discussing his battle with addiction and recovery. The 29-year-old Riverdale alum admitted that he was surprised by the response he received from fans after appearing on the Wildmen podcast.
KJ Apa reflects on the unexpected response to his Wildmen podcast revelations
The actor was taken aback by the number of people who related to his personal experiences. In an interview with Variety, he said, “I had just dropped my son back off to his mum’s house. I was completely unprepared. I just rolled up and sat down, and we started talking, and I felt in that moment like, this is who I am. This is a huge part of who I am.”
He continued, “These thoughts that go into an eating disorder or drug addiction or other addictions, they are all part of who I am and have taken up so much of my life. I’ve had so many people come up to me saying, ‘Thanks for sharing that.’ I honestly didn’t realize that it would have that reaction. It was cool.”
During a July appearance on the podcast hosted by Dylan Sprouse and Brendan Columbus, KJ opened up about his sobriety journey. He revealed the lengths he went to while dealing with various addictions, including his relationship with food. “I’ve been sober a year and a half. Anything that makes me feel good, yeah, I will abuse. It’s something that I’ve learned about myself,” he said.
“I mean, even eating—my relationship with eating, especially on that show, was bad…I used to eat donuts all day long. Go back to my trailer, throw up. Let me tell you the story. This is gnarly. This is a gnarly story.”
KJ recalled ordering a large McDonald’s meal at around 2 a.m. His order included three Big Macs, McNuggets, fries, and a milkshake. He quickly ate about half of it but immediately regretted his decision. He then urinated on the remaining food and took it outside. Afterward, he made himself throw up everything he had eaten. However, his hunger returned within just 20 minutes. KJ went back outside and ate the leftover food, carefully avoiding the portions covered in urine.
If you or someone you know is struggling with an eating disorder, The Alliance for Eating Disorders provides a fully staffed helpline at 1-866-662-1235, as well as free, therapist-led support groups.
