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‘Riverdale’ Star Camila Mendes Opens Up About Being Drugged And Sexually Assaulted

(Photo by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Images)

Katie Jerkovich Entertainment Reporter
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Camila Mendes opened up for the first time about the significance of her “to build a home” tattoo and shared that she got it after surviving being drugged and sexually assaulted.

“I got the tattoo after my freshman year,” the 25-year-old actress shared with Women’s Health magazine, according to E! News in a piece published Monday.

“I had a very, very bad experience; I was roofied by someone who sexually assaulted me,” she added, without wanting to get into any further detail. (RELATED: ‘Riverdale’ Star Vanessa Morgan Engaged To Baseball Pro Michael Kopech)

 

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Mendes, who attended the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, then explained that the tattoo she got above her rib in cursive lettering is a reminder to “strengthen both her sense of self and the environment around her,” per People magazine. (RELATED: PHOTOS: The Ladies Of ‘Riverdale’ Strip Down For Stunning Cosmo Magazine Spread)

Later in the piece, the “Riverdale” star spoke out about her ongoing battle with bulemia and how it’s only gotten better recently.

“I’ve only recently gotten better.” Mendes explained in the cover story for the October issue of the health magazine. “I needed professionals I trusted to tell me things that I didn’t know.”

 

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“When I was a teenager, there were no role models when it came to body positivity,” she added. “That simply was not a thing. Being thin was the thing.”

Mendes continued, “It’s health that’s important, not appearance. I make choices that are good for me — and not just in my body — but for my soul, for my mind. And sometimes that’s eating ice cream because I want to eat ice cream.”