Lizzo admits that at one point two years ago, she plunged into a darkness and depression so intense, she wasn’t sure she wanted to continue living.
Towards the end of her concert at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles on March 12, the “Truth Hurts” singer broached the topic of mental health and struggles with severe “dark depression.”
Lizzo was devastated by the lawsuits alleging sexual harassment
In August 2023, the Detroit-bred beauty was sued by a cadre of her backup dancers who accused her of sexually harassing them and creating a toxic workplace environment. The 36-year-old, who was born Melissa Viviane Jefferson, said she felt crushed under the weight of that and the legion of trolls who fat-shamed her that she wanted to give up on life.
The ceaseless torment she endured 18 months ago, coupled with her eventual journey back to mental stability and massive weight loss, inspired her upcoming album’s title, Love in Real Life.
Lizzo admits she no longer wanted ‘to live’ at one point
“I named it that because about a year and a half ago — it’s so hard for me to talk about — I was in such a dark, deep depression,” Lizzo told the crowd as she fought back tears. Many fans in the auditorium randomly shouted “I love you” in rapid succession.
“I was so heartbroken by the world and so deeply hurt that I didn’t want to live anymore, and I was so deeply afraid of people that I didn’t want to be seen. Eventually I got over that fear.”
Lizzo explained she had a breakthrough moment while attending a concert at the time, according to People magazine.
Lizzo explains the road to recovery
“As I was walking through the crowd to get to my spot, something miraculous happened. Somebody, who I didn’t know, looked at me and said, ‘Lizzo, I love you.’ And they reached out, and I reached back, and we hugged, and it felt so damn good,” she said.
Lizzo, 36, also thanked the many people who came to her aid at the nadir of her life and nursed her back to life.
“F—ing life-saving,” she told her fans. “And after that experience I was like, ‘Damn, you can’t get this s— on the internet, bro. This is the kind of love you can only get in real life. And I don’t share that story to gain some sort of sympathy. We’re beyond that, b—h. Look at me!”
Lizzo implored fans to use her life as a testimony
Lizzo said she wanted to be vulnerable in that moment in case someone in the audience needed to hear that and are flailing about in the darkness. She added that there are people who are also in the throes of “depression, or darkness, or felt so betrayed by someone they trusted or was lied on and hated on for those lies.”
Since she went through it herself, she felt it was her obligation to share her poignant and powerful testimony.
“If you’re depressed, reach out to someone who will listen. If you’re mad about the government, reach out to someone else who’s mad about the government and f—ing organize,”
“If you hate the way you look, reach out to someone who loves you and who will tell you, ‘You are f—ing beautiful as you are right now, no matter how your body changes.’ Because you may not believe, but you are special,” said Lizzo.
If you or someone you know is struggling or in crisis, help is available. Call or text 988 or chat 988lifeline.org.
