Hilaria Baldwin "started to question [her] sanity" after she was accused of faking her Spanish accent

In an excerpt from her new book, 'Manual Not Included' - which has been shared with People - Hilaria explains: "Growing up being neurodivergent, I had to work harder in school than many of the people around me. I never felt like I was smart in the right way.

"I am relieved that now there's less of a stigma around differences in learning and processing. This has given me the freedom to shed some of the shame I felt for so long. I'm now aware that my brain just works differently and I can really succeed in the right environments and tasks.

"It's something I've struggled with my entire life, and even though I tried to ignore it, I marvel at how I settled into certain environments where I thrived, like New York City and teaching yoga. I knew I had to stay active in order to function and think clearly.

"Now I know that it's ridiculous that anyone would feel outraged or amused because someone forgot a word. Can you be honest right now, reading this: Have you ever forgotten a word? But back then, I started to really unravel. I was confused. I felt lost. I missed my family. I couldn't eat. I got very thin. I started to question my sanity. I started to question if I was a good person."

Hilaria admitted that her mental health "got worse and worse and worse" as the controversy developed.

The podcaster - who is married to movie star Alec Baldwin - recalled: "I returned to what I used to do as a child, and started to call myself stupid. When I woke up, I wanted to be dead. And I got worse and worse and worse."

Hilaria previously addressed the controversy in a post on social media.

She wrote on Instagram at the time: "I've seen chatter online questioning my identity and culture. This is something I take very seriously, and for those who are asking - I'll reiterate my story, as I've done many times before.

"I was born in Boston and grew up spending time with my family between Massachusetts and Spain. My parents and sibling live in Spain and I chose to live here, in the USA."