Elizabeth Lizzie Sobinoff was assaulted by another child her age "for months", and when the symptoms of trauma set in years later, she was misdiagnosed with bipolar. Photo / Getty Images
Elizabeth Lizzie Sobinoff was assaulted by another child her age "for months", and when the symptoms of trauma set in years later, she was misdiagnosed with bipolar. Photo / Getty Images
WARNING: This article contains sexual assault details that may be distressing and triggering for some readers.
Lizzie Sobinoff has made a heartbreaking revelation about her childhood which led to years of trauma and self-harm.
Ahead of her return to Married At First Sight Australia, Elizabeth Sobinoff has opened up about some of the darkest moments in her life, revealing she was sexually abused when she was 6.
The 28-year-old reality star candidly told interviewer Tam Wrigley she was assaulted by another child her age "for months", and when the symptoms of trauma set in years later, she was misdiagnosed with bipolar.
Sobinoff then tearfully explained on YouTube channel Beyond Beautiful that the misdiagnosis and prescribed medication almost killed her.
Lizzie opened up about her sexual assault to Tam Wrigley on YouTube Channel, Beyond Beautiful. Photo / YouTube
"When I was 6 … I had this one particular friend … she would have been my best friend in primary school … this girl was 6 years old as well," Sobinoff explained.
"My mum used to babysit her on a Friday night, and every Friday night she'd say, 'Let's go play Batman and Robin.'
"She used to bring me up to my room and shut the door, and touch me, and want to kiss me and things like that, and I hated it," the jewellery store manager said.
"I remember afterwards always wanting to have a bath, wanting to scrub myself clean."
Opening up about how the abuse affected her as an adult, she said it wasn't until years later that it "hit her like a ton of bricks".
"It was such a huge moment in my life that happened for months … and it was in the safety of my own house," Sobinoff said, revealing that she told her mum in a nail shop in her 20s.
She said she began self-harming to cope with the trauma, which is when doctors misdiagnosed her with depression and bipolar disorder, resulting in her being prescribed the wrong medication.
Sobinoff then went on to reveal she suffered "drug-induced schizophrenia".
"I was on lithium, I was on everything," she said.
"I reacted badly to all the medications … I ended up hallucinating … I had drug-induced schizophrenia for close to six years."
She said she attempted suicide twice before deciding to take herself off the medication.
Shortly after ceasing her medication, Sobinoff was diagnosed with porphyria, a blood disorder that can affect the nervous system and causes skin blistering when exposed to the sun, and lupus, a chronic auto-immune condition.
Today's revealing interview comes amid fan concern over Sobinoff's recent weight loss, which she has previously attributed to her health issues.
To manage both her conditions, she follows a strict eating plan and adheres to a high-carbohydrate diet. She also avoids coffee, tea and alcohol.
Sobinoff said she also wears long hair extensions to help protect her from the sun as both conditions can be exacerbated by sunlight.
When Sobinoff appeared on MAFS in 2019, she was cruelly fat-shamed by her husband Sam Ball – an incident which had Australians up in arms.
Ball described his new "wife" as a "bigger" girl after first clapping eyes on her, adding that he hoped he could "get her running in the mornings".
Sobinoff is yet to make her return to the aisle on Married At First Sight in Monday night's episode, which will see her "marry" AFL player Seb Guilhaus.
SEXUAL HARM - DO YOU NEED HELP?
If it's an emergency and you feel that you or someone else is at risk, call 111. If you've ever experienced sexual assault or abuse and need to talk to someone contact Safe to Talk confidentially: • Call 0800 044 334 • Text 4334 • Email support@safetotalk.nz • For more info or to web chat visit www.safetotalk.nz Alternatively contact your local police station - click here for a list.
If you are worried about your or someone else's mental health, the best place to get help is your GP or local mental health provider. However, if you or someone else is in danger or endangering others, call 111.
If you need to talk to someone, the following free helplines operate 24/7:
DEPRESSION HELPLINE: 0800 111 757 LIFELINE: 0800 543 354 NEED TO TALK? Call or text 1737 SAMARITANS: 0800 726 666 YOUTHLINE: 0800 376 633 or text 234
There are lots of places to get support. For others, click here.
