Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain“An unusually fresh and engrossing memoir of both Hollywood and modern womanhood.” —Los Angeles Times In this searing, unflinchingly honest memoir, actress Portia de Rossi shares the truth of her long battle to overcome anorexia and bulimia while living in the public eye, and details the new happiness and health she has found in recent years—including her coming out and her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres. In this groundbreaking memoir, Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades, from the time she was a twelve-year-old girl working as a model in Australia, through her early rise to fame as a cast member of the hit television show Ally McBeal. All the while terrified that the truth of her sexuality would be exposed in the tabloids, Portia alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and concealing from herself and everyone around her the seriousness of her illness. She describes the elaborate rituals around food that came to dominate hours of every day and explores the pivotal moments of her childhood that set her on the road to illness. She reveals the heartache and fear that accompany a life lived in the closet, a sense of isolation that was only magnified by her unrelenting desire to be ever thinner, ever more in control of her body and the number of calories she consumed and spent. From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to a life of health and honesty, falling in love and marrying Ellen DeGeneres and emerging as an outspoken and articulate advocate for gay rights and women’s health issues. In this remarkable, landmark book, she has given the world a story that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit. |
Contents
Section 18 | 145 |
Section 19 | 155 |
Section 20 | 167 |
Section 21 | 173 |
Section 22 | 185 |
Section 23 | 193 |
Section 24 | 207 |
Section 25 | 219 |
Section 9 | 65 |
Section 10 | 73 |
Section 11 | 83 |
Section 12 | 89 |
Section 13 | 99 |
Section 14 | 105 |
Section 15 | 113 |
Section 16 | 127 |
Section 17 | 133 |
Section 26 | 225 |
Section 27 | 235 |
Section 28 | 243 |
Section 29 | 253 |
Section 30 | 261 |
Section 31 | 275 |
Section 32 | 307 |
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Common terms and phrases
actress Ally McBeal Amanda Rogers anorexia anymore asked Bean better Beverly Center binge body brother calories Capri pants Carolyn cigarette clothes coffee couldn’t diet door dressing room drink eating disorder egg whites Ellen excitement eyes face feel felt floor gain weight girl going hair hated head Jenny Craig Kali knew L’Oréal legs lesbian living looked lose weight lunch makeup morning mother movie needed never night okay paparazzi penthouse apartment photo shoot Portia de Rossi pounds Sacha scene seemed sitting skinny skirt smile smoke someone Splenda stairs stomach stopped stupid Suzanne talk tell There’s thighs thin thing thought Tim Tams told Tom Cruise took treadmill trying tuna voice waiting walked wanted wasn’t watched wearing weeks weight loss What’s woman wondered workout worried would’ve yelled yogurt