A Wake-Up Call from Her Children
Becoming a parent can flip your world upside down, and for Shonda Rhimes, this change might have been a lifesaver.
At a recent event with Robin Roberts at 92NY on October 14, Shonda got real about how the moment she realized she needed to overhaul her lifestyle was profoundly impacted by her three daughters.
Robin Roberts brought up Shonda’s personal story featured in the expanded edition of her book, Year of Yes. Rhimes spoke movingly about a time she carried her daughter on her shoulders and ran with her, which had been impossible for her before.
“I cried after that,” Shonda revealed. “I really thought I might not be around in ten years. That’s how bad I felt. The fact that I couldn’t even run around with my 20-pound kid—it was eye-opening for me.”
As a mother to Harper (22), Emerson (12), and Beckett (11), that moment served as a pivotal point in her life. Rhimes called it a memory she’d cherish forever, saying:
“It was such a moment of both relief and revelation for me that I can feel myself again.”
Shonda, known for her hit shows Grey’s Anatomy and Scandal, has never shied away from discussing her health journey. Back in 2015 on The Ellen DeGeneres Show, she mentioned that struggling to buckle her seatbelt on a plane triggered a significant wake-up call. Nevertheless, her kids remained her biggest motivation.
“I have a 3-year-old, a 2-year-old, and a 13-year-old, and I want to be healthy and here for them,” she stated. “I’m all for women loving their bodies in any shape, but I knew something had to change because I didn’t feel good.”
Reflecting on Past Challenges
Now, ten years on, Shonda continues to think back to her previous mindset. She used to perceive her body merely as a vessel for her brain.
”I began truly feeling awful—getting winded just climbing stairs, battling sleep apnea, and waking up gasping. I realized action was necessary,” she noted.
She amusingly recalled how she used food as her comfort zone:
“I used to think that saying ‘yes’ to unhealthy living was okay because of food—a comforting cheat for sadness or heartbreak.”
But Shonda emphasized that her new approach to health isn’t about cutting things out but about feeling good.
“I’m not on some extreme diet—it’s about using food sensibly and making it work for me,” she asserted.
