Portia de Rossi Opens Up on Ellen (Spoiler Alert: It Goes Well!)

Actress in good company as she talks about eating disorder and new book on her wife's talk show

By Natalie Finn Nov 03, 2010 3:00 AMTags

No big surprise, Ellen DeGeneres thinks Portia de Rossi is "perfect" as is.

But the Ellen host, who interviewed her wife of two years today, was also "heartbroken" when she read de Rossi's new memoir and learned more about the Arrested Development beauty's struggle with an eating disorder and a general sense of self-loathing.

"I don't think anyone can really understand what it's like to suffer from an eating disorder unless they've actually gone through it themselves," de Rossi said during the interview, airing Thursday on Ellen.

"I wanted to tell the story from the perspective of the person suffering and not from the healthy person's perspective. I wanted to go back to that dark horrible time and explain why I thought I was doing the right thing...why I thought I was doing the healthy thing and making good choices for my life."

De Rossi previously revealed on Oprah that she once whittled her diet down to 300 calories a day to stay thin.

"When I look in the mirror today I really do accept myself from head to toe," she told DeGeneres. "This is exactly the weight I'm supposed to be. I realized it's taking me a long time—you can't fit a size 8 foot into a size 6 shoe."

Well, she couldn't have been in a better place to get the love and support she needs.

"Oh, come on," de Rossi protested as DeGeneres stated that she, for one, thinks de Rossi is perfect.

The actress then returned the favor.

"Ellen has completely changed the way I look at life," de Rossi explained. "She has made me not worry about what other people think. I'm still working on that, I have to be honest. She has taught me that who I am is perfectly good enough...that I don't have to pretend to be anything other than who I am, and that's been the most incredible gift that she's given me."

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain hit the shelves Monday.