Celebrities are no different from any of us. They are very talented individuals, but they are humans nonetheless! Tons of celebrities experience mental illness at some time in their life. In fact, 1 in 5 adults in the United States experience symptoms of mental illness in a given year. Obviously, some of that 20% of Americans must be a Lady Gaga or a Justin Bieber. So why can’t we validate when celebrities have mental health issues during their career?
Many celebrities choose to speak out after they have received professional help or found ways to cope with their thoughts.
For example, Sia has opened up, saying “I have social anxiety. It’s easier being up on stage because there’s security in being there. When I’m offstage, I’m trying not to be a manic freak. I’m quite shy.”
Beyonce has spoken about depression, Jennifer Lawrence has panic attacks, Demi Lovato has shared her story of bipolar disorder. These people are put on a pedestal and praised for their advocacy and mentor status. However, if someone is struggling with mental illness during their career, it’s a different story.
Let’s rewind to 2007. Things were a lot different at that time. One star that was often found in the spotlight was Britney Spears. Ah, yes, the famous year of bald Britney. Pop culture gurus couldn’t type fast enough! Britney shaved her head? She had lost her mind! Her career was falling apart! She was a famous singer, what was she doing? Far in the future, when Britney put out her documentary I Am Britney Jean, the singer admitted to having bipolar disorder and social anxiety, which caused the breakdown and thus the head shaving.
Another star who received this treatment from neurotypical reporters was Shia Labeouf. Famously in 2014, Shia repeatedly tweeted “I am not famous anymore.” Social media fanbases were confused. He perplexed us even more when he showed up to a red carpet event wearing a paper bag on his head bearing the same message: “I AM NOT FAMOUS ANYMORE.” Everyone thought he had finally gone crazy. If his condition had been looked into more thoroughly, people would have understood that he must have been struggling. Also in 2014, Shia told reporters he was raped by a woman at his own art show, #IAMSORRY. Labeouf also was involved in many crimes that resulted in his arrest, showing another reason he may being having an internal struggle.
Lastly, we have the tragic laughing stock of the internet: Amanda Bynes. Many people grew up watching Bynes on All That and The Amanda Show. She went on Twitter rants frequently in the past, saying she “wanted @drake to murder her vagina” and bashing Rihanna for “trying to be white” and saying “Chris Brown beat you because you’re not pretty.” The entire internet was shocked. Memes were made out of her tweets and she was often discussed negatively. Later, Bynes was arrested for marijuana possession.
It was suggested Bynes saw a psychiatrist, and she later tweeted “I was diagnosed bipolar and manic depressive so I’m on medication and I’m seeing my psychologist and psychiatrist weekly so I’m fine :D.”
The people who influence the media must realize that celebrities are still humans, not emotionless robots. They are going to struggle. They are going to learn. No one is weak for needing help, even celebrities. Next time a celebrity has a “freak out moment” like Bynes, Labeouf, or Spears, think before your fingers start flying on your keyboard.
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