When opening up about her 'big secret' in a new interview, the 40-year-old stand-up comedian admits that she fears her toddler son Gene will have it as well.
- Mar 26, 2022
AceShowbiz - Amy Schumer has gotten candid about her "big secret." Having been struggling with a hair-pulling disorder called trichotillomania, the "I Feel Pretty" actress divulged that she will no longer hide her personal struggle because she's tired of carrying "so much shame" for years.
The comedienne, who shared her experience in her semi-autobiographical new show "Life & Beth", told The Hollywood Reporter that she has had the disorder since she was in grade school. Once she picked out so much of her hair that she had to wear an ill-fitting wig to school. "And everybody knew," she recalled.
"I think everybody has a big secret, and that's mine," the 40-year-old stand-up comedian revealed. "And I'm proud that my big secret only hurts me, but it's been what I've carried so much shame about for so long."
Amy disclosed that it started when her family was going through a tough time. It was when her father declared bankruptcy and had been diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. At that time, her mother left him for her best friend's dad.
"And it's not that I used to have this problem, and now I don't... It's still something that I struggle with," she said, before admitting that she fears her toddler son Gene will have it as well. "Every time he touches his head I'm having a heart attack," she pointed out.
"I really don't want to have a big secret anymore," Amy further emphasized. "And I thought putting it in there would be good for me to alleviate some of my shame and maybe, hopefully, help others alleviate some of theirs, too."
According to Mayo Clinic, trichotillomania "is a mental disorder that involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body, despite trying to stop." While it's mostly manageable for some people, the condition can be overwhelming for others so they have to seek treatment.
