Having grown up literally in front of the world, beginning their careers when they were just nine months old on Full House, Mary-Kate and Ashley were role models to young girls, with the pressure only building as they neared their 18th birthday.
“It’s like everyone’s waiting for us to mess up and that’s what they’ve been focusing on and we’re just focusing on growing up and living our lives,” Mary-Kate told E! News on the set.
“We’re human beings,” Ashley added.
But a ew weeks after New York Minute‘s release, it was reported that Mary-Kate, just shy of her 18th birthday, had entered a facility to seek treatment related to an eating disorder.
“This is a challenge that Mary-Kate has made a decision to face,” her rep at the time told People. “This is a challenge she will meet.”
Prior to her decision to seek treatment, Mary-Kate had poked fun at the public’s focus on her weight when the sisters hosted Saturday Night Live; in one sketch, she played a paparazzi photographer who shouted, “Mary-Kate, you’re so skinny—eat a sandwich!”
The teen had hid her struggle from the world, including everyone on the set of New York Minute. “I didn’t see the signs of [an eating disorder],” director Dennie Gordon told the magazine. “I had a lot of meals with her, and it didn’t seem there was anything wrong.”
Dr. Drew, who played their father, said, “She was the sweetest of the two. But I didn’t notice anything. She hid it well.”
Mary-Kate has never publicly spoken about her reported eating disorder, but somewhat opened up about seeking help in 2008 interview with Elle magazine.
“I think it’s important that what anybody goes through—and I’m not saying that it’s true or not true—you realize it’s part of growing up,” she said. “Everybody is going to go through hard times. It’s a part of life. I think the hardest part to get to is that point of asking for help or reaching out to other people and being honest with yourself.”
