The health condition Robyn Lawley’s been hiding
Top Australian model Robyn Lawley is ready to talk about her battle with epilepsy and debilitating seizures.
Stellar
Don't miss out on the headlines from Stellar. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Top Australian model Robyn Lawley has always been outspoken when it comes to advocating for diversity within the fashion industry. Yet there remains at least one topic she’s shied away from: her epilepsy.
Since 2018, Lawley has suffered debilitating seizures caused by the autoimmune condition lupus. She has opened up about and shared the trauma from these seizures on social media, but it’s only now that she’s revealing she also has epilepsy.
“I don’t think people understand that if you have multiple seizures you have epilepsy,” Lawley tells Stellar On Friday.
“That’s a big thing for me to come out and say because I think people judge chronic illness harshly. And I’m scared – the fashion industry is notoriously ‘judgey’. I lose jobs all the time. And I’ve had seizures before jobs. But I need to share this for other people who suffer from epilepsy.”
Lawley details how she lives with the condition in her new Audible podcast Every Body: Surviving & Thriving In A Body Shaming World, which is out from March 23. “This is the series I’ve been waiting for,” she says.
“There are so many different people I got to speak with, who have suffered shame and humiliation from their bodies but have come to terms with loving their bodies. And that’s a rewarding experience.
“In fashion, we exclude so many people from the picture. We buy fashion from picture-perfect models. But that’s not reality. I’ve been trying to shine this light for so long and now, finally, we’ve seen curves in the fashion world.
“We’re finally seeing the beauty of diversity and different ethnicities. And I got to interview people with some disabilities; that’s the next frontier in the fashion world.”
The 31-year-old, who has appeared on the covers of Marie Claire and Vogue Italia, adds that using her voice rather than her body for her latest project was especially important.
“It is quite liberating to finally have a podcast and not have my face involved,” Lawley says.
“I had a seizure while making this podcast, and I did damage my face, so to have the ability to use my voice and not worry about my face as a model was so liberating – to not worry about that holding me back, because that has held me back.”
Robyn Lawley’s new podcast launches on Tuesday.
Guy Sebastian: ‘I think maybe now I’m ready’
As he debuts a new look, Guy Sebastian reveals the real reason he is moving into acting – and sets the record straight about the future of his music career.
‘Very alone’: Star recalls gunpoint assault
It was her ‘most vulnerable’ moment. Now, Sandra Sully has opened up about the lasting impact of a violent assault at gunpoint nearly three decades ago.