Although she's been in the public eye for the better part of three decades, Mae Whitman hasn't spoken out very often about her personal issues. However, in March 2021, the actor revealed that, after suffering for years, she had finally been diagnosed with endometriosis, a painful condition that causes uterine tissue to grow outside of the uterus. The most common symptoms are often described as extraordinarily painful periods, and Whitman soon learned that her level of pain wasn't normal.
Speaking with People, the actor explained the agony she endured whilst trying to figure out what was happening with her body. "First they would say period pain is normal. And I was like, 'Okay, I'm barfing into the toilet seven times every single time.' And then they would say, 'Well, you should go on birth control because it could be this weird thing called endometriosis, that we don't really know a lot about.'" She explained, "I just would leave these appointments just crying hysterically in my car, because I felt so gaslit."
Finally, after becoming ill, missing out on roles, and still battling with her symptoms, Whitman connected with Lena Dunham, who has been outspoken about her experience with endometriosis. Dunham put her in touch with a doctor who helped Whitman feel understood, and she eventually received laparoscopic excision surgery to treat the condition.
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