Madelaine Petsch, Lili Reinhart & Camila Mendes Have Open Conversations About Body Image & Mental Health

Body confidence and mental health headlines dominate the internet these days, and for good reason — they’re subjects that shouldn’t be shied away from at all — and Riverdale stars Madelaine Petsch, Lili Reinhart and Camila Mendes definitely know that.

Speaking with Byrdie in a new interview, Madelaine opened up about having conversations with her female co-stars about both issues.

“I’ve been lucky and haven’t had too many issues with body image, but when I was younger there were definitely times when I had some body dysmorphia,” she admits to the online site.

“I think a lot of young girls go through that but don’t quite understand it.”

She continues, “And when Riverdale first came out, there would be these crazy people, fans who called me a whale. And to be honest, there were times when I would question myself� like why do people hate me?…But then you have to take a step back and realize that all that matters is feeling good about yourself, knowing that you’re a good person, loving, and taking care of yourself.”

Madelaine emphasizes the fact that she does talk about these issues with Camila and Lili, who’ve experienced similar things in their own lives.

“Cami and I have this conversation all the time�about self-image and mental health, and you know, just ensuring we’re doing everything we can for ourselves. We can’t focus our energy on those outside forces. Lili is really great about speaking out about body image, and Cami is too.”

Madelaine adds, “I feel really lucky to be around so many strong women who I can discuss these things with. We’re able to be open and honest and be one another’s support system.

“Cami, Lili, and I, we know that we have a responsibility to be good role models and we take that seriously. We really care about our fans and we want to make sure we’re keeping it real but also putting positivity out there.”