“He would call me ‘Little Lily’ … he’d use awful words about me in terms of what I was wearing and would call me a w—- and all these things,” the Emily in Paris star shared of her ex.
Lily Collins is looking back on a “toxic” relationship from her past.
On Wednesday’s episode of the We Can Do Hard Things podcast, the Emily in Paris star, 33, recalled the abuse she endured from an ex-boyfriend in her “early 20s.”
“For me, my romantic toxic relationship was verbal and emotional abuse and being made to feel very small,” she told co-hosts Glennon Doyle, Amanda Doyle, and Abby Wambach.
The actress continued, “He would call me ‘Little Lily.’ You should be ‘Little Lily’ and he’d use awful words about me in terms of what I was wearing and would call me a whore and all these things.”
She added that her ex’s “belittling words” made her become “quite silent and comfortable in silence and feeling like I had to make myself small to feel super safe.”
The relationship led Collins — who previously opened up about overcoming eating disorders — to therapy, where she learned about how prey refused to eat when they felt under attack.
“When prey felt threatened, they made themselves as small as possible,” she shared. “Possibly by not eating by making themselves look as least juicy and enticing as possible and that’s where they felt the safest.”
Collins said that her ex’s actions would leave with her feelings of “panic” and “anxiety.”
The To the Bone star also revealed that she can still be triggered today, despite now having a healthy marriage with husband Charlie McDowell.
“The situations are completely different 10 years ago to now… That panic is what I can still get triggered by,” she explained. “Even if I’m in the most healthy relationship, there can be a moment that happens throughout the day where history comes back like that.”
“It’s like a millisecond, or shorter than a millisecond,” she added. “And your gut reacts, your heart starts beating, and all of a sudden you’re taken back to that moment where they said that thing to you 10 years ago, but you’re not in that situation now and that’s the trigger and it’s f—ing hard. It’s awful.”
Collins revealed she is more open with McDowell than her past relationships, sharing, “I’ve never had someone other than Charlie witness me in that state probably because I’ve never felt comfortable enough to be in that state knowing that person is going to leave.”
She added, “Now in my life, having my wonderful and supportive husband, we do communicate and talk about so much.”
In October, Collins opened up about her marriage to McDowell, calling the filmmaker her “best friend.”
“We can kind of conquer anything,” she told E! News. “We’ve been through so many changes globally, personally, and to be able to have a partner next to you that makes you laugh in times when you need it the most and helps you emotionally get through things, like moving to a foreign country for four months.”
“I just feel so grateful that I have someone next to me to be able to accomplish that and your best friend with you all the time,” she added.
News
Daredevil: Born Again Trailer Confirms Netflix Canon As It Reveals Matt Murdock & Kingpin Reunion
Daredevil: Born Again‘s first trailer shows a glimpse of Matt Murdock and Wilson Fisk’s reunion, confirming that the MCU series continues the events of Netflix’s Daredevil. The footage is shown in a video highlighting Marvel Television’s 2025 slate, including first looks at Ironheart and Wonder Man….
I Can’t Believe The MCU Introduced A Huge Part Of Thanos’ Origin Story 5 Years After His Endgame Death
Warning: This article contains spoilers for Agatha All Along. Marvel Television’s Agatha All Along recently introduced a wild character to the MCU who happens to be central to the development of Thanos’ backstory in Marvel Comics, five years after the Mad Titan’s demise in Avengers:…
Venom: The Last Dance Actor Peggy Lu Bids Farewell To The Iconic Ms. Chen & Shares Tales Of Tom Hardy’s Kindness
WARNING. This interview includes SPOILERS from Venom: The Last Dance. Mrs. Chen actor Peggy Lu looks back at her Marvel journey with Eddie Brock in Venom: The Last Dance. While being the character who started Sony’s Spider-Man Universe to begin with, 2024 is…
Tom Holland Gets Symbiote Suit & Battles Venom: The Last Dance’s Knull In Epic Spider-Man 4 Concept Trailer
WARNING: This article includes SPOILERS from Venom: The Last Dance. Following the ending of Venom: The Last Dance, Knull battles Tom Holland’s web-slinger in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in a Spider-Man 4 concept trailer. The MCU timeline will soon see the return of Peter Parker,…
Marvel TV In 2025 Trailer: First Footage Of Wonder Man, Ironheart, Daredevil, Spider-Man & More
A major Marvel Cinematic Universe sizzle reel has been revealed, unveiling footage for multiple 2025 TV shows. The Hollywood strikes in 2023, as well as Disney’s shifting strategies, had a big impact on the Marvel timeline and its release schedule for 2024. However,…
Robert Downey Jr Refuses To Let Any Movie Replace Him With An AI Replica Whether He’s Alive Or Dead: “I Intend To Sue All Future Executives”
Robert Downey Jr. won’t allow AI to replace him and has threatened legal action against anyone who tries it, even after he’s gone. Hollywood continues to experiment with AI as the innovative technology advances and becomes more reliable. AI also presents a…
End of content
No more pages to load