“If we could do that, that was our main goal, and I really felt like we did that, especially tonight”.
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“I struggled with bulimia for so long”, the actress said.
“The one thing that I had always wanted was for someone to be real with me about that whole situation.”
Well, PenaVega used that strength to her advantage when she made the decision to open up about a very intimate detail of her life. She’s the girl who struggled with that.’ I want them to think of me as an overcomer, as still who I am and I just HAPPENED to have that experience. “You want to get rid of it but you struggle because, in a unusual way, you enjoy it.” she told People Magazine. And, while her time on the dancing competition has come to a close, the Spy Kids alum admitted the reality show gave her the confidence to speak out about her struggle.
“It’s so insane because when Carlos and I joined the show, like one, it was a journey together”, Alexa told E!
“I wish I’d had somebody who could have told me, ‘It’s scary.’ You struggle giving it up”.
Though Alexa has moved past that time in her life, insecurities remain. The harsh truth about bulimia is that on a few level, it’s satisfying, PenaVega said.
“You read textbooks and it’s just so, well, textbook”. Getting over the compulsion is more hard than it sounds. The judges scored her performance from the rehearsal, but Tamar was able to make it to the “Dance Duet” portion of the episode.
According to Cosmo, Mark – dressed all in black – represented bulimia and Alexa played herself, fighting against it. When it was over, the judges sprung to their feet and praised PenaVega for the raw, emotional performance.
“That was more than dance, that was healing”, said judge Carrie Ann Inanba.
“You really danced like a woman possessed”, added judge Bruno Tonioli.
Alexa PenaVega, 27, may have danced her last dance on “Dancing With the Stars” but she went out with big scores for both her dancing skills with professional partner Mark Ballas, as well as for using the platform to share her personal journey and struggles with bulimia through a contemporary dance he created for the occasion. “It had all the emotional turmoil of a dark psycho drama – images out of “American Horror Story”!”.
We’re so proud of Alexa for being honest about the disease. “It was about a bigger message… to help people and to inspire”. Tonight was biggest than dancing on a television show, tonight was about love, life, and helping people who are struggling and in need, to me that’s bigger than any mirror ball or championship.
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What did you think of Alexa PenaVega’s performance?
