Andra Day reveals she battled porn and sex addiction
Andra Day says she was dealing with porn and sex addiction while preparing to portray jazz legend Billie Holiday.
The star landed an Oscar nomination for her performance as the iconic singer in The United States vs. Billie Holiday and went deep into character to play Billie, but there was one area of the Strange Fruit singer's life she tried to stay away from.
"I didn't want any element of sexualization," she tells InStyle. "I had come out of something in my own life - dealing with porn addiction, sex addiction...
"I'm being very, very candid with you because I'm not the only one. But I knew I wanted all of that very much gone... I'm definitely in a healthier place to enjoy that because I'm outside of the addiction, if you will."
Andra went on to reveal she felt a close connection to Billie, who was often hypersexualised during her career in the male-dominated world of jazz.
"I feel now, after playing Billie, that I'm honouring her, and the strength that is femininity," she explained.
"I'm definitely in a healthier place to enjoy that because I'm outside of the addiction, if you will. So, yeah, it's been really fun, because it's been very new for me."
Andra also revealed landing the role helped her grow in confidence and value herself.
"It was almost like she said, 'Sis, we're going to have to close this, because I have to survive.' She opened me up to valuing myself in a way that I hadn't fully before," she said.
