Show summary Hide summary
Katrina Patchett, long admired for her performances on Danse avec les stars, has revealed a private and painful battle with bulimia that shaped much of her life. In a candid interview with Ici Paris, the dancer traced the roots of her eating disorder back to childhood trauma and the relentless pressures of a career in dance.
From early trauma to a hidden eating disorder
Patchett says her struggles began long before fame. As a child she endured sexual abuse, an experience that left deep emotional scars.
Hilary Swank’s husband Philip Schneider: inside the businessman behind the star
Polska pregnant and betrayed by a close friend: she is very, very shocked
She explains that this violation changed how she viewed her body and led to intense self-rejection. “I felt that no one respected my body, so I learned to hate it,” she shared.
The world of professional dance then compounded the problem. Criticism from teachers, partners and even family pushed her into harmful coping patterns. She remembers first acting on these urges at 15.
How the disorder took hold
The behavior became routine. Meals were followed by purging, and the cycle intensified over time.
- At the height of the illness she vomited repeatedly throughout the day.
- She describes binge episodes where she would shop for groceries meant for many people and consume everything herself in one night.
- Immediately after eating she would hide in the bathroom to purge, and then repeat the sequence.
For years she concealed the disorder from those around her. Even when people suspected, she says few spoke up. She calls it a “vicious circle” that was very hard to break.
An unexpected ally changed the course of her recovery
Patchett credits a surprising source for the turning point: her ex-mother-in-law, Virginie. The woman was attentive and noticed signs of illness long before Katrina admitted the problem.
When Katrina realized how much her behavior hurt Virginie, it jolted her into action. That realization sparked the decision to seek help and begin treatment.
Recovery was neither quick nor linear. She reports years of therapy, setbacks and relapses. Yet today she says she no longer engages in those acts.
Where she stands now and what she still carries
It has been three years since she last purged. Despite the progress, bulimia remains a part of her history she thinks about daily. “It was more than half my life,” she told the magazine.
- She continues to work on recovery and acknowledges occasional relapses are possible.
- She also mourns other losses: her father died last October, adding to the emotional weight she manages.
- Katrina openly links early abuse and career pressures to her disorder, aiming to raise awareness.
Speaking out to help others
By sharing her story, Patchett hopes to reduce stigma and encourage others to seek help. Her testimony mixes candid confession with a call for empathy.
She emphasizes the importance of attentive loved ones and early intervention, showing how a caring voice can change a life.
