Earlier this year, Alexis Ren came clean about her struggle facing an eating disorder.  In a recent interview with Cosmopolitan.com, the Instagram model revealed how she developed an eating disorder following the traumatic death of her mother. 

Read More: Instagram Model Alexis Ren Opens Up About Shocking Details About Break Up With Jay Alvarrez

Speaking of her ex Jay Alvarrez, Ren revealed that their relationship progressed quickly due to her recent loss. "I tried to replace [my mom] with another person, which obviously doesn’t work out, especially when you’re young and you put your faith into a person who has different intentions," she said.

When the pair started to make their infamous "lifestyle videos," it forced Ren to face her appearance even further. "The only sense of relief I had was to be able to monitor my eating and my workouts," she said. 

Because the pair was traveling so much, it became more difficult for Ren to maintain control over her strict diet and fitness regime. "It was a vicious cycle where when I did eat, I just felt worse, so I didn't want to eat, and ate less and less and less," said Ren. "I was scared of food."

Despite their recent public fights, Ren doesn't blame Alvarrez for what she was going through. "At that age, he didn't know how to handle what I was going through," she said. "I needed a mother, not a boyfriend."