Chloë Grace Moretz Opens Up About Being ‘Objectified’ on Red Carpets at 19

Chloë Grace Moretz has been a movie star since she was 8, when she starred in the remake of The Amityville Horror. But it was only a couple years ago that she became uncomfortable with red carpets. In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, the 21-year-old opened up about her struggle with anxiety which came about after she started feeling “objectified” on red carpets at 19.

“I felt carpets and everything were just fun and just silliness, and something shifted one day where I was suddenly terrified of them,” Moretz said. “I was terrified of photos, and I was terrified of being objectified by people. Just being seen by people freaked me out. That was brand new for me. That happened at age 19. I was like, ‘Why am I now afraid of everything, where did this anxiety come from?'”

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Moretz deduced that her anxiety came because she’s “always played a role” as an actor. It wasn’t until she took time to find her “own identity within the portrayal of Chloë Grace Moretz” that she started getting a handle on her anxiety.

“I think what becoming an adult is is dropping the role and becoming a person, and not running away from your problems but dealing with them, and becoming proud of your issues, and becoming proud of your identity,” Moretz said. “And being like, ‘Well, this is who I am and I’m not going to shy away from that and fit into your societal box.’ I don’t have to laugh it off and shut it off if I don’t want to. I’m OK to cry and not be OK with a situation.”

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As for how she handles her anxiety, Moretz looks to exercise and meditation. But she also knows that her hormones have an effect on her anxiety, too. “For me, I just make an effort to make sure that I give myself 30 minutes a day to walk away,” Moretz said. “That just means shutting a bathroom door and just standing there for a second and focusing on my breathing, and focusing on my brain, and reconnecting to my heart and understanding who I am. That gets rid of the anxiety for me.”