Zoe Saldana has had her ups and downs, but that hasn’t let her stop her from achieving her dreams. She and her sisters, Mariel and Cisely lived in New York until she was 10 years old, then after her father died they had to move to the Dominican Republic. She’s also had to deal with unequal pay in Hollywood, while worrying about an autoimmune disease that puts a strain on her health.
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Growing Up Without A Father
Saldana’s father died suddenly when she was around 10 years old, and she and her sisters had to move from New York to the Dominican Republic—they went from having the luxuries of living in a big city, to living in a small community, where there was only one culture, one language, and even one religious belief. “I know what it’s like to grow up with fast food and MTV, then all of a sudden you’re in a place where the power goes out every three hours and you’re doing your homework by candlelight,” she says to Net A Porter Magazine.
A Woman In Hollywood
Living in the Dominican Republic she quickly realized how Latinos are traditionalists and super-machistas. “Even though women are matriarchs, it’s still a man’s world,” she said. But that wasn’t going to bring her down, instead she opted to become a champion of women and speak loudly about the issue of female equality in Hollywood. “The high road is speaking up and saying, ‘You’re a d***! What you are doing is unfair. I’m not asking you idolize me, I’m asking you to pay me equally, because you always come to me whenever you need me for a press tour!’” As a woman in a position of power, she believes that she has to use her power to help other women and not stay quiet.
Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis
Zoe Saldana has Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, which is also known as chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis, which is a condition where your immune system malfunctions and mistakenly sends antibodies to attack your thyroid gland. It causes inflammation, which often leads to hypothyroidism, when your thyroid gland is underactive. “Your body doesn’t have the energy it needs to filter toxins, causing it to believe that it has an infection, so it’s always inflamed,” she explains. “You create antibodies that attack your glands, so you have to eat clean.” She has a strict diet, which is gluten and dairy-free. She’s not alone because it’s something that runs in the family.