Everything Lili Reinhart Has Said About Her Struggles With Anxiety

Fans of the CW's "Riverdale" might recognize Lili Reinhart from her portrayal of the girl next door Betty Cooper — or her vengeful brunette alter ego, Dark Betty — but the actress got her start on-screen years before Riverdale premiered in 2017 (via IMDb). As reported by Insider, Reinhart appeared as a guest star on "Law & Order SVU" in 2011, later landing feature roles in small coming-of-age films like "Kings of Summer" in 2013 and, by 2016, "Miss Stevens" alongside a pre-fame Timothée Chalamet. According to Reinhart, her parents were a huge part of her early success, driving her to auditions and unconditionally supporting her acting dreams. "Without them, I wouldn't have gotten anywhere," she told W Magazine. By 2017, she was a key player in "Riverdale's" twisting plot lines (and occasional musical episode), joining a cast of "young, widely unknown actors," per W Magazine.

As "Riverdale" comes to a close (can it really be ending?), Reinhart is steadily expanding her resume to include production credits and film roles that expand beyond Betty Cooper's good girl image. Though Reinhart is happy to play Betty for one last season, she's "excited to see what [her] life looks like outside of the show," per Parade. Offset, the "Riverdale" star is known for candidly speaking about her struggles with anxiety, and advocating for mental health care via her social media.

At 14, according to People, Lili Reinhart was diagnosed with depression, something which was exacerbated by the pressures of Hollywood. As she told W Magazine in a 2017 interview, "I spent almost five months holed up in this bedroom in this house just feeling anxious, waiting for my next audition, and not doing anything else." Eventually, debilitating anxiety prevented the future "Hustlers" star from working, and she decided to move home. Here, she began seeing a therapist who "helped [her] build [herself] back up again," (per W Magazine).

When she was 19, Reinhart landed the role of Betty after a drawn-out audition process — the truth of which may be surprising. As she shared via Twitter in 2017, her breakout success on "Riverdale" saved her from "the worst depression [she] had ever experienced." But her road to recovery was far from linear, and the actress has opened up about her extreme bouts of anxiety during the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

Reinhart told Refinery29 in a summer 2020 interview, "This has been the first time in four years where I've been able to like stop and process the immense life changes that I've gone through." While in lockdown, the actress turned to virtual therapy, per Nylon. She began a process of self-reflection while also facing public scrutiny after her breakup with "Riverdale" costar, Cole Sprouse. As reported by Bustle, Reinhart has advocated for therapy on her Instagram writing: "Therapy is never something to feel ashamed of."

In a 2022 Parade exclusive, Lili Reinhart reflected on "Riverdale's" approaching conclusion, sharing, "I would not sign on ever again for another 22-episode series. I will say that loud and proud." The show's demanding schedule and quarantine restrictions often left the actress feeling trapped (per People). As she told Parade, "Due to filming and then due to COVID, I've missed some weddings and a funeral."

Reinhart has a promising future outside of her CW origins. In 2020, she worked as an executive producer on the film, "Chemical Hearts," also starring in the project. Her most recent credit as a producer is Netflix's "Look Both Ways," which stars Reinhart as a post-grad navigating two parallel realities (via IMDb). The actress spoke to Parade about reading the script for the first time, sharing, "As someone with a lot of anxiety and a lot of decisions to make, there was comfort in knowing that what is meant to be for you will happen." The actress has also dipped her toe into the world of poetry, publishing her first collection, "Swimming Lessons," in 2020 (per Goodreads). She told Nylon, "I write in a lofty, longing, romantic way because I'm a huge romantic."