11 years ago, Lily Collins thought she was in love. Her partner would call her a 'wh**e'.

Emily in Paris star Lily Collins opened up about a past 'toxic relationship' on the We Can Do Hard Things podcast in 2023.

"For me, my romantic toxic relationship was verbal and emotional abuse and being made to feel very small," she told the podcast.

"He would call me 'Little Lily'… and he'd use awful words about me in terms of what I was wearing and would call me a wh**e and all these things," she said.

As a result of these "awful" and "belittling words", Collins said she would "make [herself] small to feel super safe".

"When prey felt threatened, they made themselves as small as possible, possibly by not eating, by making themselves look as least juicy and enticing as possible and that's where they felt the safest," she said.

The Emily in Paris star discussed how these experiences left her with anxiety and feelings of panic that even the past decade hasn't been able to completely erase, despite now being happily married to filmmaker Charlie McDowell, who she wed in 2021.

"The situations are completely different 10 years ago to now. That panic is what I can still get triggered by," she said, in 2023.

"Even if I'm in the most healthy relationship, there can be a moment that happens throughout the day where history comes back like that.

"It's like a millisecond, or shorter than a millisecond, and your gut reacts, your heart starts beating, and all of a sudden you're taken back to that moment where they said that thing to you 10 years ago, but you’re not in that situation now and that’s the trigger and it’s f–king hard. It’s awful."

Collins said her relationship with her now-husband is worlds apart from this past relationship.

"Now in my life, having my wonderful and supportive husband, we communicate and talk about so much," she explained.

Speaking to E! News in 2022, the actress gushed further about McDowell, saying that together they can "conquer anything".

"We've been through so many changes globally, personally, and to be able to have a partner next to you that makes you laugh in times when you need it the most and helps you emotionally get through things, like moving to a foreign country for four months," she said.

"I just feel so grateful that I have someone next to me to be able to accomplish that and your best friend with you all the time."

If you or anyone you know needs support for eating disorders, please contact the Butterfly Foundation National Support Line and online service 1800 ED HOPE (1800 33 4673) or email support@thebutterflyfoundation.org.au.

Feature Image: Getty/Instagram/@charliemcdowell