Lili Reinhart fans – the wait is finally over! It’s taken a little while to hit the shelves, but Lili Reinhart’s new book, Swimming Lessons, has arrived. The poetry book was initially slated to release in May of this year. But things got pushed back after the chaos of quarantine. Swimming Lessons is Lili’s debut book, and it compressed some heavy themes into bite-sized poems.
We all know and love Lili Reinhart from her role as Betty on the teen drama Riverdale. Before becoming a star in LA, Lili was a girl from Cleveland, Ohio. She developed a love for acting, singing, and dancing when she was just ten years old. At eighteen, Lili made her way to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Although she almost gave up after five months of trying.
Lili broke into the film business, appearing in films live Kings of Summer and Miss Stevens. When she auditioned for Betty in Riverdale, it took multiple rejections before she got the call telling her she’d snagged the role. We can’t imagine anyone else as the smart, daring Betty Cooper.
While filming Riverdale, Lili met Cole Sprouse who portrays Jughead Jones. And like their characters, Lili and Cole began an earnest romance. The couple started dating in 2018 and announced early this year that they had officially broken up.
Lili has been very open about her struggle with anxiety and depression, which she’s lived with since fourteen, even talking about her therapy experiences. Swimming Lessons was a way for Lili to work through the heartbreak of a substantial breakup. And give creative expression to the bad thoughts that threatened to swallow her.
Swimming Lessons is about young love and what it means to battle mental illnesses like anxiety and depression while in the spotlight. Beautiful illustrations accompany the book of poems, and the text strives to “reveal the depths of the female experience.”
Lilli has grown into an advocate for mental health. She even appeared in a movie this year called Our Chemical Hearts, where she played a teenager dealing with her own trauma. Lili has used the dark times in her life to share with others that mental health is a journey, never a destination. (Read more about Lili Reinhart’s portrayal of mental illness on Riverdale here.)
When Lili isn’t acting on movie sets or penning poetry, you can find her on the couch watching something of the thriller/horror genre. Lili recently revealed she’s not one for comedies, preferring to be sucked in by the intrigue and suspense of a thrilling story. Despite what you might think, Lili isn’t the girl-next-door Betty Cooper; in real life, she values honesty and realness above all else. Swimming Lessons just might be the perfect way to get to know Lili Reinhart a little better. Swimming Lessons is available now, be sure to check it out!
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