Celebrities who've opened up about their mental health

January 29, 2020

It's Bell Let's Talk Day. Every year, the corporation donates 5 cents to mental health initiatives in Canada each time the #BellLetsTalk hashtag is used, every time a social media video is watched, and more.
<p>We all have mental health, and it's important to recognize if you're struggling or have in the past, you aren't alone. That's why we're really grateful to these celebrities who've been outspoken about mental health issues they've gone through.
<p><strong>Scroll through the gallery (or click through if you're on desktop) to see some of those who've tried to break through stigma by being open.</strong>
<p>Photos: © Getty Images

<Strong><a href=/tags/0/taylor-swift>Taylor Swift</a></strong> recently opened up about overcoming an eating disorder.
<p>In <I>Miss Americana</I>, her new documentary for <strong><a href=/tags/0/netflix>Netflix</a></strong>, the superstar discusses the pressure she dealt with about her weight after she became famous.
<p>"I remember how, when I was 18, that was the first time I was on the cover of a magazine," she told <I>Variety</I> magazine about why she's opening up now. "And the headline was like, 'Pregnant at 18?' And it was because I had worn something that made my lower stomach look not flat. So I just registered that as punishment.
<p>"And then I'd walk into a photo shoot and be in the dressing room and somebody who worked at the magazine would say, 'Oh, wow, this is so amazing that you can fit into the sample sizes. Usually we have to make alterations to the dresses, but we can take them right off the runway and put them on you!' And I looked at that as a pat on the head. You register that enough times, and you just start to accommodate everything towards praise and punishment, including your own body."
<p>Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix

Taylor Swift recently opened up about overcoming an eating disorder.

In Miss Americana, her new documentary for Netflix, the superstar discusses the pressure she dealt with about her weight after she became famous.

"I remember how, when I was 18, that was the first time I was on the cover of a magazine," she told Variety magazine about why she's opening up now. "And the headline was like, 'Pregnant at 18?' And it was because I had worn something that made my lower stomach look not flat. So I just registered that as punishment.

"And then I'd walk into a photo shoot and be in the dressing room and somebody who worked at the magazine would say, 'Oh, wow, this is so amazing that you can fit into the sample sizes. Usually we have to make alterations to the dresses, but we can take them right off the runway and put them on you!' And I looked at that as a pat on the head. You register that enough times, and you just start to accommodate everything towards praise and punishment, including your own body."

Photo: Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Netflix

In 2016, <strong><a href=/tags/0/ryan-reynolds>Ryan Reynolds</a></strong> opened up to <I><a href=https://www.gq.com/story/ryan-reynolds-deadpool-blake-lively-life-moty>GQ</a></I> about the "little bit of a nervous breakdown" he had after filming <I>Deadpool</I>.
<p>"I literally had the shakes," he said. "I went to see a doctor because I felt like I was suffering from a neurological problem or something. And every doctor I saw said, 'You have anxiety.'"
<p>Photo: © Jason Mendez/WireImage

<strong><a href=/tags/0/chrissy-teigen>Chrissy Teigen</a></strong> has drawn a lot of praise for speaking out about her anxiety and her postpartum depression, saying medication, while not always the solution for everyone, has really helped her.
<p>"Like anyone, with PPD or without, I have really good days and bad days," she told <i><a href=https://ca.hellomagazine.com/celebrities/02019120953970/chrissy-teigen-managing-anxiety-medicine-twitter/>Glamour</a></i> in 2017. "I will say, though, right now, all of the *really* bad days - the days that used to be all my days - are gone."
<p>Photo: © Joshua Sudock/Disneyland Resort via Getty Images

<strong><a href=/tags/0/jay-z>Jay-Z</a></strong> drew praise for a 2017 interview with <I><a href=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/11/29/t-magazine/jay-z-dean-baquet-interview.html?mtrref=www.google.com>The New York Times</a></I> in which he talked about seeking mental health treatment.
<p>"I grew so much from the experience," he said of going to therapy. "But I think the most important thing I got is that everything is connected. Every emotion is connected and it comes from somewhere. And just being aware of it. Being aware of it in everyday life puts you at such a... you're at such an advantage."
<p>Photo: © Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Roc Nation

Last year, <strong><a href=/tags/0/alanis-morissette>Alanis Morissette</a></strong> penned a powerful essay on her website about experiencing postpartum depression for the third time after the birth of her daughter, <strong>Winter Mercy</strong>.
<p>The Canadian singer/songwriter wrote that she wasn't sure if she would experience the condition this time around, and the latest bout has taken different manifestations.
<p>"There are so many tentacles to this experience," she wrote.
<p>She said her experiences with PPD made her aware that she needed to get help faster this time.
<p>"But for all of this preparation– PPD is still a sneaky monkey with a machete – working its way through my psyche and body and days and thoughts and bloodwork levels," she wrote. "I have stopped, this time, in the middle of it. Lord knows I don't want to miss a thing... with my kids."
<p>Photo: © Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Dick Clark Productions

Last year, Alanis Morissette penned a powerful essay on her website about experiencing postpartum depression for the third time after the birth of her daughter, Winter Mercy.

The Canadian singer/songwriter wrote that she wasn't sure if she would experience the condition this time around, and the latest bout has taken different manifestations.

"There are so many tentacles to this experience," she wrote.

She said her experiences with PPD made her aware that she needed to get help faster this time.

"But for all of this preparation– PPD is still a sneaky monkey with a machete – working its way through my psyche and body and days and thoughts and bloodwork levels," she wrote. "I have stopped, this time, in the middle of it. Lord knows I don't want to miss a thing... with my kids."

Photo: © Eugene Gologursky/Getty Images for Dick Clark Productions

<strong><a href=/tags/0/jessica-simpson>Jessica Simpson</a></strong> is set to <a href=https://people.com/music/jessica-simpson-reveals-drinking-pills-new-memoir/>release a memoir</a>, <I>Open Book</I>, in which she talks candidly about getting sober, battling addictions to alcohol and pills and recovering from child sexual abuse.
<p>In an interview with <I><a href=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/29/style/jessica-simpson-memoir-alcohol-addiction.html>The New York Times</I></a> this week, she said she's shared her experiences to help others.
<p>"I opened up about it in the book, because I really want people to know at a young age, if they are going through that, just speak up earlier because it could have stopped for me so much earlier," she said.
<p>She went on to say her sobriety has helped her become more present with her emotions so she can deal with them in therapy.
<p>"I was like, 'If [alcohol] is a crutch that's keeping me from being my best self, I have to get rid of it and find what's keeping me from being myself.' Why can't I present myself to the world? Why am I nervous to give myself over to the world when it's always been so easy?"
<p>Photo: © Raymond Hall/GC Images

Jessica Simpson is set to release a memoir, Open Book, in which she talks candidly about getting sober, battling addictions to alcohol and pills and recovering from child sexual abuse.

In an interview with The New York Times this week, she said she's shared her experiences to help others.

"I opened up about it in the book, because I really want people to know at a young age, if they are going through that, just speak up earlier because it could have stopped for me so much earlier," she said.

She went on to say her sobriety has helped her become more present with her emotions so she can deal with them in therapy.

"I was like, 'If [alcohol] is a crutch that's keeping me from being my best self, I have to get rid of it and find what's keeping me from being myself.' Why can't I present myself to the world? Why am I nervous to give myself over to the world when it's always been so easy?"

Photo: © Raymond Hall/GC Images

<strong><a href=/tags/0/kristen-bell>Kristen Bell</a></strong> often speaks about depression and mental health, and her husband, <strong>Dax Shepard</strong>, also talks about why it's important for him to be sober from alcohol.
<p>"There's nothing weak about struggling with mental illness," Kristen wrote in an essay for <a href=https://time.com/4352130/kristen-bell-frozen-depression-anxiety/><I>TIME</a></I> in 2016. "For me, depression is not sadness. It's not having a bad day and needing a hug. It gave me a complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness. Its debilitation was all-consuming, and it shut down my mental circuit board. I felt worthless, like I had nothing to offer, like I was a failure. Now, after seeking help, I can see that those thoughts, of course, couldn't have been more wrong. It's important for me to be candid about this so people in a similar situation can realize that they are not worthless and that they do have something to offer. We all do."
<p>Photo: © David Livingston/Getty Images

Kristen Bell often speaks about depression and mental health, and her husband, Dax Shepard, also talks about why it's important for him to be sober from alcohol.

"There's nothing weak about struggling with mental illness," Kristen wrote in an essay for TIME in 2016. "For me, depression is not sadness. It's not having a bad day and needing a hug. It gave me a complete and utter sense of isolation and loneliness. Its debilitation was all-consuming, and it shut down my mental circuit board. I felt worthless, like I had nothing to offer, like I was a failure. Now, after seeking help, I can see that those thoughts, of course, couldn't have been more wrong. It's important for me to be candid about this so people in a similar situation can realize that they are not worthless and that they do have something to offer. We all do."

Photo: © David Livingston/Getty Images

Earlier this year, <strong><a href=/tags/0/lady-gaga>Lady Gaga</a></strong> opened up about her mental health in <a href=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f8iNYY7YV04&t=1s>a brave and heartfelt interview</a> with <strong><a href=/tags/0/oprah-winfrey>Oprah Winfrey</a></strong>.
<p>The star, who has battled fibromyalgia and says for her, there is a clear link between the condition and her mental health, told Oprah she developed post-traumatic stress disorder as the result of sexual violence she experienced when she was 19. She said she believes the fibromyalgia is part of her body's "trauma response." She says medication has made her life better, though she acknowledges that might not be the case for everyone treating their mental health.
<p>"I take an anti-psychotic," she said. "[If I didn't take it] I would spiral very frequently and I would spasm in my sleep."
<p>"Medicine really helped me," she continued. "A lot of people are afraid of medicine for their brains to help them. I really want to erase the stigma around this. I'm sick of saying it over and over again. Not everybody has access to these things, not everybody has money for these things. I want the money for it, I want the best doctors in the world, and I want us to understand the brain and get on the same page about it so Gen Z does not have to deal with this the way we are right now. Mental health is a crisis."
<p>Photo: © Jason Koerner/Getty Images for Oprah

Earlier this year, Lady Gaga opened up about her mental health in a brave and heartfelt interview with Oprah Winfrey.

The star, who has battled fibromyalgia and says for her, there is a clear link between the condition and her mental health, told Oprah she developed post-traumatic stress disorder as the result of sexual violence she experienced when she was 19. She said she believes the fibromyalgia is part of her body's "trauma response." She says medication has made her life better, though she acknowledges that might not be the case for everyone treating their mental health.

"I take an anti-psychotic," she said. "[If I didn't take it] I would spiral very frequently and I would spasm in my sleep."

"Medicine really helped me," she continued. "A lot of people are afraid of medicine for their brains to help them. I really want to erase the stigma around this. I'm sick of saying it over and over again. Not everybody has access to these things, not everybody has money for these things. I want the money for it, I want the best doctors in the world, and I want us to understand the brain and get on the same page about it so Gen Z does not have to deal with this the way we are right now. Mental health is a crisis."

<a href=/tags/0/kendall-jenner><strong>Kendall Jenner</a></strong> has been very open anxiety, telling <strong><a href=/tags/0/cara-delevingne>Cara Delevingne</a></strong> in a <a href=https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/photography/a14821310/kendall-jenner-interview-cara-delevingne/>2018 interview for <I>Harper's Bazaar</I></a> that it has been "debilitating."
<p>"I literally wake up in the middle of the night with full-on panic attacks," she said. "Where do I even start? Everything is so horrible, it's hard to name one thing. I just think that the world needs so much love. I wish I had the power to send Cupid around the planet, as cheesy as that sounds. You go online and you see everyone saying the worst things to each other, and it's hard to stay positive. It's hard not to get eaten alive by all the negativity."
<p>Photo: © Pietro D'aprano/Getty Images

<strong><a href=/tags/0/demi-lovato>Demi Lovato</A></strong> has always been open about her mental health, and recently returned to music with a powerful performance of "Anyone" at the 2020 <a href=/tags/0/grammys><strong>GRAMMYs</a></strong>. The song was written and recorded just days before she overdosed in July 2018.
<p>"I was recording it in a state of mind where I felt I was okay, but clearly I wasn't," she said on <I>Good Morning America</I> before the show. "I even listen back to it and I'm like, 'Gosh, I wish I could go back in time and help that version of myself.'"
<p>Photo: © John Shearer/Getty Images for The Recording Academy

<strong><a href=/tags/0/dakota-johnson>Dakota Johnson</a></strong> has also been open about her anxiety.
<p>"Sometimes I panic to the point where I don't know what I'm thinking or doing," she told <I><a href=https://www.anothermag.com/fashion-beauty/7764/the-full-story-dakota-johnson-for-another-magazine-a-w15>AnOther</a></I> magazine in 2015. "I have a full anxiety attack... I have them all the time, anyway, but with auditioning, it's bad. I'm so terrified of it."
<p>Photo: © Jeff Spicer/Getty Images for Global Citizen

Even The Rock has battled mental health issues! <strong><a href=/tags/0/dwayne-johnson>Dwayne Johnson</a></strong> told Oprah he wished he'd known it was okay to ask for help during a bout of depression.
<p>"I found that, with depression, one of the most important things you could realize is you're not alone," <A href=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_T9Jg0U2DA>he said in 2015</a>. "You're not the first to go through it; you're not going to be the last to go through it. And oftentimes — it happens — you just feel like you're alone. You feel like it's only you. You're in your bubble. And I wish I had someone at that time who could just pull me aside and [say], 'Hey, it's gonna be OK. It'll be OK.' So, I wish I knew that."
<p>Photo: © Albert L. Ortega/Getty Images

The late <strong><a href=/tags/0/leonard-cohen>Leonard Cohen</a></strong> was bravely talking about mental health long before other stars. He frequently discussed how depressive episodes saw him searching for meaning, and also mentioned that he sought out Zen Buddhism because of them.
<p>"Depression isn't just the blues," he said in a 1997 French radio interview. "It's not just like I've a hangover for the weekend.... The girl didn't show up or something like that, it isn't that. I'm trying to describe clinically like an acute depression. It's not really depression, it's kind of mental violence which stops you from functioning properly from one moment to the next. You lose something somewhere and suddenly you're gripped by a kind of angst of the heart and of the spirit."
<p>Photo: © Frank Lennon/Toronto Star via Getty Images

In 2014, <strong><a href=/tags/0/miley-cyrus>Miley Cyrus</a></strong> got candid with <I><A href=https://www.elle.com/culture/celebrities/a12/miley-cyrus-may-cover-story/>Elle</a></I> about depression, saying it's an issue people just "don't know how to talk about."
<p>"I never was depressed because of the way someone else made me feel, I just was depressed," she said of her experience. "And every person can benefit from talking to somebody. I'm the most anti-medication person, but some people need medicine, and there was a time where I needed some too. So many people look at [my depression] as me being ungrateful, but that is not it — I can't help it. There's not much that I'm closed off about, and the universe gave me all that so I could help people feel like they don't have to be something they're not or feel like they have to fake happy. There's nothing worse than being fake happy."
<p>Photo: © Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for iHeartMedia

In 2014, Miley Cyrus got candid with Elle about depression, saying it's an issue people just "don't know how to talk about."

"I never was depressed because of the way someone else made me feel, I just was depressed," she said of her experience. "And every person can benefit from talking to somebody. I'm the most anti-medication person, but some people need medicine, and there was a time where I needed some too. So many people look at [my depression] as me being ungrateful, but that is not it — I can't help it. There's not much that I'm closed off about, and the universe gave me all that so I could help people feel like they don't have to be something they're not or feel like they have to fake happy. There's nothing worse than being fake happy."