As a child, the star found comfort in food. It was her only joy during a time when she faced harsh treatment — both physical and emotional — from her stepfather. She said her body was something that “offended him.”
Once shamed as a child by her stepfather because of her body, the actress later became celebrated for her looks. Over time, she opened up about her early struggles, often revealing how her relationship with food and weight began during those painful years.
Looking back on her younger years, she revealed in an interview once, “I’ve been chubby all my life.” Though she sometimes grew thinner or stayed active through sports, the extra weight never fully disappeared.
The actress remembered how her friends could eat freely, while she had to think carefully about every bite. “If I ate certain things I would totally gain weight,” she explained. From early on, she felt the pressure to stay aware of her eating habits.
In her household, food wasn’t strictly monitored, but it was a sensitive topic — “kind of whispered about” — as no one wanted to hurt her feelings. Still, food held joy. One of her sweetest memories came from afternoons spent with her grandmother, who would make grilled cheese sandwiches after school. “It was a beautiful bonding time for me,” said the celebrity.
Now, she sees how complex it can be for parents — trying to help their children be healthy while understanding that they’re their own people with bodies that work in different ways.
That perspective was shaped by her own upbringing. In her memoir, “This Is Me,” the Florida native described the harsh reality of growing up with little money and suffering through both emotional and physical mistreatment from her stepfather.
In another interview, she admitted the lasting weight of those experiences, “I’m a tough cookie. But it’s one of those things that attempts to break your spirit.” The difficulties at home only deepened as she grew older. When she was eight, her father, Mark, a former Navy officer, left the family. Her mother, Denise, was left to raise three children on her own.
After giving birth to another daughter, whose father later disappeared, Denise eventually met the man who would become her second husband. In the book, the actress reportedly shared, “My mom married Trigger at the courthouse.” Not long after, Denise gave birth to another daughter.
Trigger showed warmth to his biological children. However, the celebrity explained, “Me, not so much.” With her mother frequently away at work, the mistreatment went unnoticed, leaving her to endure it alone. As her mother continued working long hours, the tension at home worsened. Under the same roof, she grew more aware of how unwelcome she was in her stepfather’s eyes.
According to the celebrity, her very presence seemed to irritate him, especially her appearance. “My body seemed to offend him, but he couldn’t help but stare, especially when I was eating,” she explained.
He even joked about locking the refrigerator, a painful remark considering the family had once faced scarcity. When food finally became available, she felt pressure to eat quickly, fearing it might vanish. The actress expressed, “Food was my only happiness.”
His control didn’t stop at the scale. These weigh-ins became routine, each one laced with shame. He would sit nearby as she stepped on, reacting the same way every time. “‘Good God almighty!’ he yelled every single time,” said the actress.
At the time, she weighed around 130 to 140 pounds, while her peers were closer to ninety. “‘Why are you getting fatter?’ he demanded.” As the verbal attacks continued, the violence worsened. After one incident, she met his eyes and, in that moment, thought, “If I had a gun, I would shoot you.”
Years later, actress Chrissy Metz, 44, spoke openly about the shadow her past had cast. In an interview from October 2024, she noted that awareness surrounding food, eating habits, and emotional health had grown.
She explained that with education, fear often lessens, and suggested that perhaps fear had played a role in how her stepfather treated her — though she couldn’t say for certain.
Metz confirmed that what she experienced was mental, physical, and emotional abuse. She likened the emotional wounds to small, repeated cuts that, over time, caused deep internal suffering. The impact, she said, lingered far longer than most people realized.
Although time has passed, Metz continues to face the emotional aftermath of her early experiences. She shared that her healing process is ongoing — steady but challenging. At the core of it, she recognized a belief that had taken root long ago: the feeling of being unworthy.
Metz also acknowledged the heavy stigma surrounding weight. In her view, assumptions are often made about people’s habits or motivation, such as the idea that someone is lazy or lacks self-control.
She pointed out the contradiction in how society views health and beauty, noting that while models are often praised, many of them are also neglecting their well-being. Yet, those in larger bodies face harsher judgment. To her, that imbalance remains “bizarre.”
The pressure Metz felt wasn’t just public — it was personal, and eventually, it caught up with her in a way she couldn’t ignore. Real change came when her health took a frightening turn.
This sense of freedom, though new in practice, had taken decades to fully embrace. At 38, she was finally living on her own terms. As Metz embraced her confidence publicly, others didn’t hold back their admiration.
Comments on her social media reflected growing support and praise. “You’re beautiful!” one person wrote. Another added, “Are you aging BACKWARDS?!?!? [sic] You look gorgeous!” Someone else called her a “lovely lady,” while another remarked, “Look at this beautiful lady.”
Chrissy Metz’s journey has been shaped by hardship, courage, and self-discovery. Through every step, she has chosen growth over silence, and in doing so, reclaimed her voice.
