Actress Lili Reinhart Reflects on Life with Endometriosis
Lili Reinhart has opened up about a frightening health journey that led to her diagnoses of endometriosis and adenomyosis, revealing that a single Google search term brought her to tears in the middle of the night.
In a personal essay for Elle published on Thursday, March 12, the 29-year-old Riverdale star detailed the lengthy and often frustrating process of seeking answers for chronic bladder pain she had been experiencing.
Despite consulting around eight doctors, none had suggested endometriosis as a potential cause—until her pelvic floor therapist mentioned it.
“None of the eight or so doctors I had seen before her had mentioned it,” Reinhart wrote.
She raised the possibility with her urogynecologist, who referred her to a specialist in minimally invasive gynecological care. A series of tests, including an ultrasound and MRI, followed.
The initial results showed adenomyosis, but no sign of endometriosis. When Reinhart researched the condition, one symptom stopped her in her tracks: infertility.
“I had no plans to become pregnant within the next few years, but I know I want kids eventually, and suddenly the desires I had for my future felt disrupted,” she wrote.
She went home and woke her boyfriend, Jack Martin.
“He asked me what happened, but I didn’t have the words or energy to explain it in the moment. He just held me while I cried through my pain, confusion, and frustration,” she recalled.
The path to a definitive diagnosis was not straightforward. One doctor suggested a hysterectomy to manage the pain, while a second opinion from an endometriosis surgeon recommended laparoscopic surgery for further investigation.
Her gynecologist cautioned that surgery might reveal nothing, and that endometriosis often recurs—particularly concerning given Reinhart’s interest in egg freezing.
Ultimately, she underwent the surgery, which confirmed the presence of endometriosis.
“In an instant, I felt validated. My pain, discomfort, and suffering for over a year was no longer an unknown question,” Reinhart wrote.
She recovered surrounded by loved ones and was well enough to travel to see family over the holidays.
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