KJ Apa opens up about severe eating disorder he struggled with whilst filming Riverdale

CW: This article discusses eating disorders and substance abuse. 

Riverdale actor, KJ Apa, has shared his struggle with a severe eating disorder while on the set of the show.

Appearing on the Wildmen podcast, KJ described his “bad relationship” with food.

The actor developed an unhealthy relationship with food and recounted episodes of binge eating while filming.

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sometimes all you need is a swift punch to the face from your best bro

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Podcast host Dylan Sprouse’s brother, Cole, starred alongside KJ in Riverdale and KJ recounted Cole giving him a “wake-up punch” over his drug use.

“He punched me in the face and I ran away”, he said. “He hit me because we were in a strip club and at this time, I was doing a lot of drugs.”

KJ has now been sober for more than a year, but revealed it was difficult battling sobriety and an eating disorder while filming the popular show from 2017 to 2023.

He reflected: “Anything that makes me feel good, I will abuse.”

“It’s something that I’ve learned about myself. Even eating—my relationship with eating, especially on that show, was bad.”

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He admitted “having my shirt off all the time” meant “so many things that I was doing … were so unhealthy”.

Before returning to film for the show, KJ had to quarantine in Vancouver for two weeks during which he decided to stay sober.

But he was “obsessively” focused on losing weight leading Dylan to comment on how KJ was “ripped” as his character Archie Andrews.

KJ noted how having his shirt off “all the time” did not help his “unhealthy” behaviours.

The actor also acknowledged that sobriety isn’t linear but he has found how to best handle addiction.

“I’ve identified it. I know what it is and now I know how to talk about it”, he said.

Fans have praised his candidness and vulnerability on the topics.

If you have been affected by the issues discussed in this article, support is available. You can contact Beat on 0808 801 0677 or visit their website for information and support.

Featured image via TikTok @wildmenpodcast and Instagram @kjapa