All that glitters isn't gold. Life in Hollywood may seem glamorous to the outside eye, but behind closed doors, young celebrities are exposed to things some wouldn't even imagine. In Stephanie Pratt's new tell-all autobiography, Made in Reality, she divulges truths about the demons she was living with as a teenager before becoming a young reality star. The Hills actress revealed she battled with drug addiction, an eating disorder and depression. At one point she discusses how her crystal meth addiction got so bad that she admits, "I used to smoke 12 to 14 times a day."
The 29-year-old TV personality received her taste of stardom in 2007 when she made her debut on the hit MTV reality show The Hills. On the show, Pratt was portrayed as an upbeat woman who relentlessly stood up for her older brother Spencer Pratt (until he turned on her of course). For four seasons, fans of the show reveled in the idea of how glamorous her life played out to be, but life in Los Angeles wasn't always so picture-perfect. According to Daily Mail, Pratt began experimenting with hardcore drugs as adolescent while attending Santa Monica's prestigious Crossroads School of Arts & Sciences.
Pratt was introduced to crystal meth at the age of 14 by a friend who encouraged her to do it. The addiction to the Methamphetamine didn't take long to unfold.
"I was 14 or 15 [when I first smoked crystal meth]....I was on the extreme level and addiction developed instantly. [I smoked] probably four times before school, then at snack... probably 12 or 13 times a day."
A photo posted by Stephanie Pratt (@officialstephpratt) on Jul 31, 2015 at 11:35am PDT
School wasn't the only place the reality star would dabble with drugs. She shockingly admitted to driving while being heavily intoxicated. Pratt also recalls using cocaine recreationally, because it made her feel "rebellious and grown up." Her parents turned a blind-eye to her destructive developing habit, because they did not know how to address or deal with it, insists Pratt. The current Made in Chelsea actress began to have no disregard for life or the law, thus causing her to spiral into a depression.
"I didn't care about anything. I could live or die, I didn't care. I had nothing to get out of bed for, nothing was exciting." Things quickly began to spiral out of control for Pratt. In 2006, Pratt was arrested in Hawaii for attempting to steal $4,000 worth of merchandise from Neiman Marcus while under the influence. The "shameful" incident led her to rehab facility in Texas, where she managed to kick her drug habit completely.
In 2007, as The Hills premiered on MTV, another problem soon emerged, bulimia. Some may recall the star opening up to Us Weekly about her eating disorder in 2009, but after the issue was released, she spoke with MTV to clear up any misconceptions and explained what really triggered the disorder.
"The Hills did not make me bulimic. It was my own issues with self-esteem, and if anything, my life on The Hills has only helped me get healthy, 'cause I know how lucky I am to have this job and to have the chance to be a role model," said Pratt. "My mom and dad were very hands-on parents. They were never on vacations or anything like that, and I did everything right under their noses-I did drugs, I threw up my food-in the same house as them. And for them to never see that, my mom was just like, 'What did I do wrong?'"
The actress subjected her body to extreme diets, like only eating Tic Tacs. Despite the tumultuous battle with bulimia, she admitted she was thankful for the professional help she received, according to the MTV interview.
"I'm so thankful I got professional help and I'm healthy now, but I just really wanted to do this to help all of those moms to see those signs in their daughters. [Bulimia is] such an ugly, ugly word. I wish I could have danced around it and said I had eating issues, but this isn't an article for me to shine.You are as healthy as your secrets."
A photo posted by Stephanie Pratt (@officialstephpratt) on Aug 19, 2015 at 6:25am PDT
Since overcoming her battle with drugs, food and depression, Pratt has adopted healthier habits like exercising regularly and learning to love her body for what it is. If you're in the UK, catch Pratt as a series regular on the hit London-based reality show Made in Chelsea and the Los Angeles spinoff, Made in Chelsea: LA, Monday nights on BBC E4 .
Her autobiography, Made in Reality, is in stores now.
