Andra Day is recovering from an addiction to pornography.
Andra Day
The 36-year-old actress has revealed she previously suffered from “porn addiction” and “sex addiction”, which she had to confront before she took on the role of Billie Holiday in ‘The United States vs. Billie Holiday’, because she didn’t want to bring “any element of sexualisation” to the role.
She said: “I didn’t want any element of sexualisation. I had come out of something in my own life - dealing with porn addiction, sex addiction. I’m being very, very candid with you because I’m not the only one. But I knew I wanted all of that very much gone.”
And after playing the iconic jazz singer in the critically acclaimed movie, Andra feels she has more “strength” in her “femininity”, and is in a “healthier place”.
She added: “I feel now, after playing Billie, that I’m honoring her, and the strength that is femininity. I’m definitely in a healthier place to enjoy that because I’m outside of the addiction, if you will. So, yeah, it’s been really fun, because it’s been very new for me.”
The actress shed 40 pounds for her role, but has insisted she doesn’t feel “prettier” with her slimmer frame because she “liked being juicy”.
Speaking to InStyle magazine, she said: “I’ve had people ask me, ‘Do you feel prettier now that you’ve lost weight?’ I was like, ‘Hell, no! I liked being juicy! I was cool.’ But I do like the way [the weight loss] feels on my body, I like the way it feels on my joints. You do notice a difference.
“Besides, to me, there is no such thing as a classic beauty. Beauty takes on so many different forms, in different times and depending on the nation. It’s just about being confident, loving yourself, and understanding your value.”
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