Sasha Pieterse was perfectly cast as Alison DiLaurentis on Pretty Little Liars. She was able to capture the exact essence of this character: a young girl who is insecure, afraid, and yet doing her best to seem as cool and popular as her reputation suggests. While Ali's days of playing pranks and attention hogging are mean-spirited, fans like her more when she comes back home to Rosewood. Ali explains that she was on the run and that she has experienced horrible things. Since this is Sasha's most beloved role, it's interesting to note that Sasha lied about her age to play Ali.
Sasha has experienced personal and career successes as besides playing this wonderful role, she and her husband Hudson Sheaffer have an adorable son, Hendrix, who was born in November 2020. Fans love following the star on Instagram where she shares photos of her family life. But the truth is, Sasha Pieterse's life has not been entirely pleasant. In fact, she has had quite an experience with health issues and medical conditions. Here's the tragic truth...
Sasha's Health Struggles
While fans didn't like the Pretty Little Liars finale, Sasha can still be proud of the work that she did playing Ali. She helped tell a fascinating story and it was nice seeing Ali and Emily Fields finally together.
When Sasha became a cast member on season 25 of Dancing With The Stars, she shared that she has had health struggles. Sasha Pieterse has PCOS, or Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. According to Best Health, the actress explained, “PCOS can lead to ovarian cancer and breast cancer and thyroid issues that could’ve been avoided. More than half of woman have it and they don’t even know. It really is a huge issue that I want to share and hopefully help even one person deal with it.”
Sasha put on 70 pounds in two years, which is something that people kept commenting on, which must have been really difficult for her since she was already dealing with this health condition.
Sasha is a great role model for the younger fans who have followed her since she began playing Ali on Pretty Little Liars, and she has been especially inspiring when talking about what she has gone through. She doesn't shy away from it and, instead, has taken it head-on.
Sasha posted about her condition on Instagram and said, “As a lot of you have noticed my body has gone through some changes, and I want to clear the air and give you an explanation. I have been facing a bad hormone imbalance that has thrown my body completely out of whack. I want to assure you that I’m healthy and getting everything back on track! A big thanks to all of you who have been in my corner!”
Sasha added that being healthy is what matters and that people who are going through something similar should ignore the negative comments. This is helpful for people to hear, as no one should say such cruel things about someone going through a tough experience.
PCOS And Pregnancy
Sasha was confused about her weight, according to Entertainment Tonight, and she said, "It was really, really hurtful the way people reacted. They were saying stuff like, 'She's pregnant.' 'You're fat.' They were angry, they were mad that I look like this. It was one of the hardest things I've ever been through."
Many women who have PCOS are understandably concerned about getting pregnant. According to Heathline, having PCOs means being "three times more likely" to miscarry and it can be hard to conceive.
Sasha said that it is a "blessing" that she got pregnant and according to People, she said she has always dreamed of being a parent. She mentioned that her hormones were "balancing out" during her pregnancy and she was positive that her condition would continue to improve.
Sasha might be most well-known for Pretty Little Liars but she also starred as Isabella in 2018's The Honor List, which is perfect for fans of that series. Four best friends aren't that close anymore, and when Honor passes away, her three friends decide to complete the items on the time capsule that they came up with earlier.
Sasha also made fans happy by starring in the PLL spin-off The Perfectionists, and while that show didn't last long, which was too bad, she was able to continue playing Ali for a bit longer which fans love. Sasha told The Gate in an interview that at the beginning of the show, Ali is excited to move to Beacon Heights and begin working at this college. She wants to improve and yet since it's a murder mystery, her plans are changed. Sasha said, "Things don’t exactly go as planned. It’s the first murder in Beacon Heights, and this perfect little town isn’t so perfect."
While it's heartbreaking learning about Sasha Pieterse's health issues, but it's good to know that she is doing better now.