Naya Rivera, the US actress who played lesbian cheerleader Santana Lopez on Glee, has revealed she had an abortion while starring on the hit show.
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Discussing an excerpt from her upcoming book Sorry Not Sorry, the 29-year-old told People that she terminated her pregnancy with actor Ryan Dorsey on a day off from filming in late 2010.
The couple had split weeks before so she could "put her career first", Rivera said. They reunited and married in 2014, and have an 11-month-old son.
"It was very scary to open up about everything," Rivera told the magazine.
"It's not something a lot of people talk about, but I think they should. I know some people might read it and say, 'What the hell?' But I hope someone out there gets something out of it," she said.
In her memoir, which hits bookshelves next month, Rivera - who began acting at 4, with roles in shows like Fresh Prince Of Bel Air and Baywatch - also discusses battling anorexia as a teenager, while struggling to cope with her parents' divorce and subsequent reunion just as her acting work began to dry up.
"By the time I was a sophomore, I started feeling that what had begun as a game had maybe gone too far. I just avoided food at all costs," she writes in the book. "If my mum had packed a lunch for me, I'd either trash it or find some excuse to give it away."
I set out to write a book that was true to myself and would hopefully help others along the way. Media will always distort anything— Naya Rivera Dorsey (@NayaRivera) August 24, 2016
I hope that you all enjoy my story and respect my good intentions in sharing them with you. Xoxo ❤️❤️ #sorrynotsorry— Naya Rivera Dorsey (@NayaRivera) August 24, 2016
Glee, which ran for six seasons from 2009 to 2015, has previously been rocked by what occurred behind its decidedly PG-rated scenes.
Castmate Cory Monteith, who played All-American football star Finn Hudson, passed away from a drug overdose in 2013, while Mark Salling, the show's rebellious Puck, was arrested on child pornography charges this year
Rivera says she was inspired to open up about the private struggles she went through on the show by her son, Josey.
"I hope Josey will read it one day," she said about the book. "I hope it gives him a better perspective on the issues women face."