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While on tour in Hong Kong, Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin revealed he’s been “struggling a bit with depression” and took to Instagram to share a heartfelt list of tools that have helped him cope, hoping they might help others, too.
Among his go-to practices, he suggested 12 minutes of free-form writing (then tossing the page). He also recommended transcendental meditation and proprioception, which is a movement-based exercise to rebalance the brain. He also gave shoutouts to the album 'Music for Psychedelic Therapy' by Jon Hopkins, the book 'The Oxygen Advantage,’ and rising musician Chloe Qisha.
In a time when mental illness is more prevalent than ever, breaking the stigma around issues like depression, anxiety, and various other disorders can be a matter of life and death. Our society worships celebrities and puts them in a position of immense influence. Many celebrities are now using their platforms to destigmatize mental illness and share that they experience the same struggles as everyone else.
Take a look through the gallery and find out which other celebrities are courageously opening up to the public about their experiences with mental health, and learn more about the signs and symptoms so you can help raise awareness too.
Simone Biles has been open about the challenges she's faced from a young age. As one of the survivors of the sexual abuse perpetrated by disgraced USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar, Biles has more than her fair share of demons. She shocked the world by dropping out of several events at the 2020 Olympics, despite being the most decorated gymnast in history, after which she took a two-year hiatus from competing. In her new Netflix documentary 'Simone Biles: Rising,' the young star delves into the mental health struggles she was facing at the time and in the years since.
Biles reveals that the attack of the "twisties" that plagued her at the Olympics was actually a trauma response to all the repressed emotions surrounding the abuse she suffered, as well as the toxic environment for women in the gymnastics world. "Everything that has happened I've just like, 'I'll push it down, shove it down, wait until my career's done, go fix it," she says. "Then something like this happens, and unfortunately, to me, it happened at the Olympics." Biles continued, "Your mind and your body is the first one to say, 'actually, no'. You just never know how you'll react when you start actually talking about that and trying to start the healing process... you can only shove stuff down for so long." Thankfully, taking time out to prioritize her mental health has done wonders for Biles, allownig her to get back with Team USA to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In the case of basketball star Brittney Griner, her struggles are somewhat unique. She spent almost a year in prison in Russia after accidentally bringing her medically prescribed cannabis oil cartridges into the country. She was slammed with a series of drug charges by the Russian state in what seemed like excessive scapegoating. Griner's arrest and subsequent sentencing of nine years in prison were believed to be politically motivated, and she was only released after the US negotiated a prisoner swap almost 10 terrifying months later.
The horrific ordeal naturally left a mark. Although Griner returned to play with the Phoenix Mercury squad for the 2023 season, which she said meant the world to her, the team announced that she would skip some of their upcoming games to focus on her mental health. "Mercury center Brittney Griner will not travel with the team on its upcoming two-game road trip to Chicago and Indiana (July 30-August 1) to focus on her mental health. The Mercury fully support Brittney and we will continue to work together on a timeline for her return," they shared in a statement on July 29, 2023. Griner returned after missing three games and thanked the team for their understanding. She encouraged other athletes to be open about their mental health in order to normalize asking for help and support.
Ed Sheeran is one of the most low-key celebs out there, and while he isn't cagey, he's certainly private and doesn't usually draw attention to himself. However, he released a four-part docuseries called 'The Sum of It All' in which he offers a deeply personal and raw insight into his life. "Disney approached me to make a four-part documentary, and it felt like the right time to open the door and let people in. I hope people enjoy it," he said in a statement. It dives into the struggles he faced in 2022, revealing that his wife, Cherry Seaborn, developed a tumor while she was pregnant with their second child. While Sheeran was frantic with worry for her, his best friend, Jamal Edwards, died suddenly at the age of 31. Not to mention the fact that he was embroiled in a high-profile copyright lawsuit.
Selena Gomez has been relatively open about her mental health issues for many years, sharing her bipolar diagnosis back in 2020. But in 2022, she went even deeper with the release of her documentary 'My Mind and Me.' The documentary follows the young star for six years, delving into some of the darkest moments of her life. Gomez shares that she went into psychosis and started hearing voices during her intense 2018 'Revival' tour, which landed her in a psychiatric hospital. It was there that she was finally diagnosed with bipolar disorder, having already struggled with anxiety and depression for years. Gomez gives an insight into what it's like to live with bipolar disorder, describing periods of mania followed by periods of extreme depression, and even shared that she had thoughts of taking her own life for years. As she recovered and learned to live with her diagnosis, Gomez became a vocal champion for mental health reform and started the Rare Impact Fund which raises money for mental health advocacy.
Selena Gomez first opened up about her bipolar disorder in April 2020, and in an interview with 'Good Morning America' she shared that it was “really freeing to have the information.” She said of the diagnosis, "It made me really happy because I started to have a relationship with myself, and I think that’s the best part,” adding that she’s “the happiest I’ve ever been.”
Speaking on Miley Cyrus’ Instagram Live talk show, 'Bright Minded,' near the beginning of the pandemic, Gomez related the power of knowledge around her mental illness to something her mom taught her from a young age. She used to be scared of thunderstorms but her mom advised her to learn more about them, and then she was able to conquer her fear.
Gomez has also made one significant lifestyle change that has really helped her mental health: staying offline. "I haven’t been on the internet in 4 1/2 years," she told 'GMA.' It has changed my life completely. I am happier, I am more present, I connect more with people. It makes me feel normal."
Megan Thee Stallion has been open about her own mental health struggles after losing her mother to brain cancer in 2019, and she decided to share a wealth of knowledge and resources with her fans. The rapper created a website called “Bad B*tches Have Bad Days Too,” based off a lyric from her song 'Anxiety,' which offers visitors a vast list of free therapy organizations, crisis helplines, and places to find help for substance abuse. She also put special care to provide resources specifically for members of marginalized communities, including links to help members of the LGBTQ+ community find psychotherapists of color, as well as a section that spotlights organizations which aim to support members of the Black and Latinx communities. She's making it clear: mental health is for hotties!
Timothée Chalamet opened up at the Venice Film Festival about feeling the massive pressure brought on by social media. “To be young now, and to be young whenever—I can only speak for my generation—is to be intensely judged,” he said during a press conference, as per E! News.
The actor, who stars in 'Bones and All' which is set during the 1980s, shared his appreciation of portraying people who grew up in a time long before platforms like Instagram and TikTok existed. “I can’t imagine what it is to grow up without the onslaught of social media,” the actor added. “And it was a relief to play characters who are wrestling with an internal dilemma absent the ability to go on Reddit or Twitter, Instagram or TikTok and figure out where they fit in.”
Chalamet acknowledged there are benefits to social media, but it's a new kind of mental weight. “Without casting judgment on that, you can find your tribe there, but I think it’s tough to be alive now,” he said. “I think societal collapse is in the air—or it smells like it—and, without being pretentious, that’s why hopefully movies matter, because that’s the role of the artist… to shine a light on what’s going on.”
The singer, actress, beauty mogul, and all-around superstar revealed that she struggled with crippling panic attacks during her late 20s. In her newsletter titled 'On The JLO,' she admitted that she's prone to getting caught up in the rat race and pushing herself to the point of exhaustion.
"There was a time in my life where I used to sleep three to five hours a night. I'd be on set all day and in the studio all night and doing junkets and filming videos on the weekends," she wrote. "I was in my late 20's and I thought I was invincible." Her reality changed when it all finally caught up with her and she experienced her first panic attack. "I was so terrified I thought I was losing my mind," she recalled, and even asked a doctor if she was going crazy. He assured her that it was a normal reaction to her intense schedule and advised some lifestyle changes to help her manage the stress. The most important one was getting enough sleep, which she still prioritizes to this day. (She even credits it with her youthful appearance!)
'Shazam!' star Zachary Levi released a memoir called 'Radical Love: Learning to Accept Yourself and Others' in which he writes about his lifelong struggle with anxiety and depression which reached a breaking point when he moved from L.A. to Austin in 2017. Levi says he felt completely hopeless and alone, and suffered a "mental collapse." He revealed that he even came close to taking his own life during this dark period. Levi underwent three weeks of intensive therapy which may have saved his life, and made him realize just how "important and necessary" therapy really is. "I found the other side, and it's vibrant and amazing. It doesn't mean that I don't have a lot more healing to do in my life."
Machine Gun Kelly skyrocketed to fame thanks to his high-profile relationship with Megan Fox, but while people were caught up in their romance, the singer was struggling immensely. In his Hulu documentary 'Life in Pink,' MGK, real name Colson Baker, opens up about falling into darkness after the death of his father in 2020. He recalled a particularly scary moment when he said, "I wouldn't leave my room and I started getting really, really, really dark," and he was filled with paranoia to the point where he slept "with a shotgun next to my bed." Fox was in Bulgaria filming when MGK said "one of the days, I just [ ] snapped." He explained that he called Fox in a state of despair and put the shotgun in his mouth, but luckily, it jammed. This terrifying moment was a turning point where he realized something was "not right" with how he was feeling, and after pleas from both Fox and his daughter, he said to himself, "I need to kick the drugs, for real this time."
Despite his constant appearance in the media, he rarely does a serious sit-down interview, which is why he surprised himself and his host when he opened up on 'The Drew Barrymore Show.' The short interview had been arranged so he could promote his new line of unisex nail polish, but Kelly ended up revealing that he often forces a smile for the cameras even though he's not feeling it on the inside. "I kind of am sick of smiling on days when I don't feel like smiling. And I feel like this odd pressure because I don't want, like, my fans to think that I'm taking something for granted." He continued, "a lot of what I do is for other people and I haven't given myself the time to just accept that it's OK to not be OK."
Ryan Reynolds has been very transparent about his struggle with anxiety in recent times, and he told CBS Sunday Morning in February that he feels like he has "two parts of my personality," one riddled with anxiety, and the one that the audience sees. The actor recalled an appearance many years ago on 'The Late Show with David Letterman,' where he flipped between those personalities. "When I would go out on, like, Letterman back in the day, I was nervous. But I remember I'd be standing backstage before the curtain would open, and I would think to myself, 'I'm gonna die. I'm literally gonna die here. The curtain's gonna open and I'm just gonna be, I'm just gonna be a symphony of vomit,' just, like, something horrible's gonna happen!” he said. "But as soon as that curtain opens–and this happens in my work a lot too–it's like this little guy takes over. And he's like, 'I got this. You're cool.'" He continued, "I feel, like, my heart rate drop, and my breathing calm, and I just sort of go out and I'm this different person. And I leave that interview going, 'God, I'd love to be that guy!'"
Sara Bareilles took to Instagram to share her experience with starting medication in her years-long battle with depression and anxiety. The singer posted a photo of a pill and wrote, "This is my medicine," before acknowledging her "not pictured medicines" in the form of "friends/family, therapy, exercise, sleep and meditation." She explained that after two decades "of feeling very strongly that it was not the path I needed to take…I have tried medication for the first time." She described the changes she's already witnessed, adding, "For the first time in months I can feel myself again- my joy, my optimism and my laughter are among some of the precious parts of myself I have rediscovered. They sit at my soul's table, along with my sweet sadness and my tender anxiety…who, by the way, aren't the only ones talking anymore. It is a profound, holy relief." She went on to detail her struggles with mental health, feeling "desperate and overwhelmed almost all the time," and her fears about starting medicine, but she added, "For me, the truth was that this medicine helped me see myself again, without the cloak of depression and anxiety. I remember myself."
The rapper brought a lawsuit against the YouTuber Tasha K, accusing her of "spread malicious rumors, slanderous assertions, and false information about celebrities" for financial gain. Some of the most damaging rumors she spread about Cardi B were that she was a prostitute, contracted herpes, and used drugs. The 'WAP' singer took the stand on January 13, 2022, to share the impact Tasha K's videos had on her wellbeing. She said that she felt "helpless" amid the allegations, and suffered from fatigue, anxiety, and migraines. The stress impacted her relationships with her husband, Offset, and her children. She revealed that she had even considered taking her own life at certain points amid the YouTuber's 14-month attack, something she had never thought about prior. Her legal team is requesting that Tasha K pay damages and "remove in full all defamatory and disparaging statements."
Prince William appeared in a short film alongside two emergency workers to discuss the difficulties of their job. The Prince of Wales has experience as a first responder thanks to his days serving as a Search and Rescue pilot in the RAF, after which he worked as an air ambulance pilot. He recounted how some of the situations he dealt with haunted him, particularly when he had to attend to a child. "So, for me, it was the relation of my personal life with the family or the incident I was at. I found that very difficult. There were a number of times when I had to take myself away because I was just getting too involved in it, and feeling it." He advised that "going to talk to someone else after the event was really important. But it continues — it doesn't leave you there, you just manage it better."
In an interview with The Sunday Times, Kirsten Dunst opened up about her battle with severe depression in her late twenties. She reflected on the need to people-please in the film industry, which led her to repress a lot of her emotions: "You don't know that you are repressing all this anger, it wasn't a conscious thing." Dunst revealed that this landed her in a deep depression and she ended up seeking treatment at a Utah rehab. She also shared that medication really helped to pull her out of the darkness. "All I'll say is that medication is a great thing and can really help you come out of something. I was afraid to take something and so I sat in it for too long. I would recommend getting help when you need it."
Actress Phoebe Dynevor shared how intense it really was when she skyrocketed to fame after the release of 'Bridgerton.' Everyone was in lockdown, so it was only during the slow return to normal life that Dynevor realized how recognizable she had become. She referenced Britney Spears and Simone Biles as examples of celebrities whose mental health has been affected by their extreme fame. Dynevor described her own struggles with her newfound success: "I'm full of anxiety. I have a fear of failure, letting someone down, contradicting myself." However, she has strategies in place to deal with these difficult feelings, including "Decaf coffee! And I meditate, I have a therapist, I walk every day. There are things I do to ground myself, because it's quite hectic at the moment."
In the past, John Mayer has been open about his struggles with his ego, particularly in a 2015 interview with Today in which he said, "I'm a recovered ego addict, and the only way that I can be sure that I don't relapse is to admit that I constantly have this ego addiction, every day," he said. "So I do the Grammys and I go home because if I stay, I get high again." On a recent Q+A he hosted on Instagram on August 31, a fan asked him if he still feels he's a "recovering ego addict," and he responded, "No, and I'll tell you why. Your 20s and 30s are like the hours between 8 pm and 11 pm on a weekend night. You're kind of frantically hoping for the most validating plans to come through." But now that he's older, the musician explained: "Your 40s are like 11:30 pm where you're like 'hey, I would have been home anyway even if I had gone out.' The pressure is off." He also reflected on "being a ham" in his past interviews and likened his past, more regrettable comments to "break dancing into a nitroglycerin plant."
It's not a secret that actor Owen Wilson attempted to take his own life in 2007, but it's a subject he has rarely discussed since. He opened up about that terrible time in his life in an interview with Esquire. When asked how he managed to come out of that dark place, Wilson credited his older brother Andrew. Andrew immediately started sleeping at his house, waking up with him every morning, and making him a daily schedule to make like seem more manageable. After a very long time, life even started to seem enjoyable again.
Lil Wayne revealed what led to his attempt on his own life at just 12 years old. Wayne said he'd struggled for two years of his adolescence with "no one to vent to, no one to get this out to," when his mother learned he'd been skipping school. Scared that she would tell him he had to stop rapping, which was his only outlet at the time, he called the police and got his mother's gun, then shot himself in the chest. "How I knew I had mental health problems was I pulled the trigger," he said, highlighting the lack of education surrounding mental health issues. Fortunately, he survived and everyone around him had a wake-up call, but he wants people to really take these issues seriously.
'Nip/Tuck' and '901210' star AnnaLynne McCord opened up about her experiences with childhood trauma and her DID (dissociative identity disorder) diagnosis. McCord revealed that she regained memories of childhood abuse after being sexually assaulted at the age of 18. On the 'Call Her Daddy' podcast, McCord said she became abusive towards herself through self-harm and destructive relationships for many years. The actress was only diagnosed with DID in her 30s, a disorder that usually occurs in people who experienced severe trauma during childhood. It is often referred to as multiple personality disorder, but McCord explained that it's not the way we see it in movies. "You are not multiple personalities when you experience DID. You are fragmented versions of yourself. The reason that the brain splits in this regard, it's always a protective mechanism."
T-Pain seemingly disappeared at the height of his fame, after bursting onto the scene with his Auto-Tune hits like 'I'm Sprung,' 'Buy U a Drank,' and 'Bartender.' In a clip from the Netflix series 'This Is Pop,' the musician reveals that he had fallen into a four-year depression after something Usher said. In the clip, T-Pain recalls that he and Usher had a positive relationship before embarking on a flight together in 2013. "Usher was my friend," he said. "I really respect Usher. And he said, 'I'm gonna tell you something, man. You kinda f—ked up music.'" The popular rapper, singer, songwriter, and producer naturally thought Usher was joking at first. "I chuckled a little bit, it was a nervous chuckle," he explained. "And then he was like, 'Yeah man you really [ ] up music for real singers.'"
The comment disturbed him. "I was like, 'What did I do? I came out and I used Auto-Tune.' He was like, 'Yeah, you [ ] it up.' I'm like, 'But I used it, I didn't tell everybody else to start using it.'" T-Pain was hardly the first artist to use Auto-Tune, either. Regardless, Usher's words had a lasting effect on him. He explains in the video: "That is the very moment, and I don't even think I realized this for a long time, but that's the very moment that started a four-year depression for me."
Paris Jackson, daughter of the late Michael Jackson, opened up about her battle with mental illness after losing her father at a young age and being subject to intense media scrutiny and cyberbullying as an adolescent. She attempted to take her own life in 2013 and the incident was highly publicized. In an interview on 'Red Table Talk,' she revealed that there were times she regretted failing. Now, however, she is grateful to be alive. "I've just found more and more joys in life and more ways to cope and more ways to like, really live instead of just exist," she said.
Tennis prodigy Naomi Osaka was hit with a US$15,000 fine for not speaking to the media due to her mental health following her first match of the 2021 French Open. The Grand Slam tournaments announced in a joint statement on May 30 that Osaka, currently the No. 2 player in the world, did not meet her "contractual media obligations" and warned that "repeat violations attract tougher sanctions." Osaka has scorned the organization's disregard for the mental health of their athletes.
Grimes shared on Instagram that she suffered a serious panic attack. It occurred shortly after her partner, Elon Musk, hosted SNL, and the attack was so severe that she ended up in hospital. Grimes told her followers that it was a scary experience and that she'll likely be starting therapy.
In Vogue's digital series, 'Open-Minded: Unpacking Anxiety,' Jenner shared that she has suffered from anxiety and hypochondria for years. She acknowledged that she's privileged, but said that she's still a human being with feelings and emotions, and they're not always good. Jenner recalls having panic attacks that made her feel like her heart was failing and she was going to die. She also says she's experiencing some anxiety at the return to normal life as the pandemic is fading.
The actress said she uses her "emotional fix-me toolkit" to cope, which involves logically working her way through the likelihood of her fears, and finding alternate routes which involve less triggers. "It’s been this way since '92. It’s just something I do; second nature.”
Reese Witherspoon opened up to Jameela Jamil on the actress' 'I Weigh' podcast, where she explained that she's been dealing with anxiety and depression for her entire life. Witherspoon also shone a light on her postpartum depression, during which time she relied on medication, and noted the benefits of therapy, which she's been in since she was about 16.
The singer was diagnosed with bipolar at age 17, after attempting to take their own life. Their third album is the first one they ever worked on while manic.
The singer has previously revealed that she was diagnosed with PTSD following the Manchester Arena attack. On Instagram, she said that Jim Carrey's words had actually helped her.
Bebe Rexha posted on Twitter on April 15, 2019, revealing that she suffers from bipolar disorder. She says that she's "not ashamed" of her disorder, and that she's not looking for pity, but for acceptance.
The actress described her experience with anxiety associated with trying to cope with life as a public figure in an interview with The New York Times.
The singer has candidly opened up her struggles with an eating disorder, which she sought help for in 2014. In a piece she wrote for Time, she urged readers to take a break from attempting to please everyone and be kind to themselves.
The rapper talked candidly in a 2015 interview about his struggles with depression and thoughts of self-harm, which feature prominently in his album 'To Pimp a Butterfly.'
The former Destiny's Child star sought help for mental health issues. The singer took to Instagram to write a touching message about her experience and to urge others "to recognize when it's time to seek help."
Zayn Malik has said he sometimes suffers from depression and extreme anxiety, which has forced him to cancel shows in major cities.
While in Hong Kong for Coldplay’s 'Music of the Spheres' World Tour, frontman Chris Martin opened up in a Instagram video about “struggling a bit with depression” and shared a personal list of tools that have helped him cope — including journaling, meditation, and mindful movement.
Jade has spoken out about her battle with depression and anorexia.
So how do you know if you or someone you love has depression? Read on to find out.
The lack of interest in things you once found pleasurable could mean your brain is not producing enough serotonin.
This can be due to emotional overeating or loss of appetite, which can both indicators of mental health struggles.
Escapist behaviour such as substance abuse, compulsive gambling, reckless driving, or dangerous sports could mean the person in question is suffering from depression.
Coldplay's Chris Martin opens up about how he copes with depression
The frontman hopes his list of tools can help others
CELEBRITY Health
While on tour in Hong Kong, Coldplay’s frontman Chris Martin revealed he’s been “struggling a bit with depression” and took to Instagram to share a heartfelt list of tools that have helped him cope, hoping they might help others, too.
Among his go-to practices, he suggested 12 minutes of free-form writing (then tossing the page). He also recommended transcendental meditation and proprioception, which is a movement-based exercise to rebalance the brain. He also gave shoutouts to the album 'Music for Psychedelic Therapy' by Jon Hopkins, the book 'The Oxygen Advantage,’ and rising musician Chloe Qisha.
In a time when mental illness is more prevalent than ever, breaking the stigma around issues like depression, anxiety, and various other disorders can be a matter of life and death. Our society worships celebrities and puts them in a position of immense influence. Many celebrities are now using their platforms to destigmatize mental illness and share that they experience the same struggles as everyone else.
Take a look through the gallery and find out which other celebrities are courageously opening up to the public about their experiences with mental health, and learn more about the signs and symptoms so you can help raise awareness too.