Celebs Who Have Bravely Spoken Out About Battling Depression: Photos

By:

Christina Casiano

May 28, 2020 3:28PM EDT

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Celebs Who Have Bravely Spoken Out About Battling Depression: Photos

Celebs Who Have Bravely Spoken Out About Battling Depression: Photos — So many stars and celebs are among the millions affected by and living with depression. Some of them have even candidly spoken about the mental illness and their mental health. During Mental Health Awareness month, it’s vital to look back at these inspiring stars, who bravely put their personal lives out there for their fans, contemporaries, and critics to see.

A number of these stars have been advocates of mental health for years. Lady Gaga has consistently demonstrated time and again what it means to be an ally. Every opportunity she has, Gaga takes a stand to erase the stigma around the conversation of mental illness. Along with her, actor Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson has encouraged children and teens to discuss their emotions and mental health with their friends and loved ones, since he revealed that he struggled with depression in 2018. From Justin Bieber and so many more, here are the stars who have courageously opened up about their struggle with depression.

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Willow Smith

Willow Smith — Willow Smith has spoken about her mental health struggles several times on her ‘Red Table Talk’ series. The daughter of actors Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith has confessed that she used to self-harm by cutting her wrist when she was just 9-years-old. She also revealed during a December 2020 episode that she had an episode of ‘extreme anxiety.’

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Adele

Adele — In candid Instagram post on August 15, 2020, Adele revealed that she took a deep dive into her own soul thanks to Glennon Doyle’s book, ‘Untamed.’ She wrote, ‘If you’re ready – this book will shake your brain and make your soul scream. I am so ready for myself after reading this book! It’s as if I just flew into my body for the very first time,’ the singer admitted, explaining, ‘Anyone who has any kind of capacity to truly let go and give into yourself with any kind of desire to hold on for dear life – Do it. Read it. Live it. Practice it. We are a lot! But we are meant to be a lot! … I never knew that I am solely responsible for my own joy, happiness and freedom!! Who knew our own liberation liberates those around us? Cause I didn’t!! I thought we were meant to be stressed and disheveled, confused and selfless like a Disney character!”

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Justin Bieber

Justin Bieber — Justin Bieber became very candid about his mental health within the last few years. His new album features the song “Many Men,” where the singer describes taking medication for his depression.

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Katy Perry

Katy Perry — Katy Perry opened up about her depression and struggles with mental health on more than one occasion. Most recently, she shared how her next album, though conveying a lot of hope and joy, was written during a very dark and difficult time in her life.

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Dwayne Johnson

Dwayne Johnson — Dwayne Johnson went public with his battle with depression in 2018. He’s since offered advice to many, encouraging teenagers specifically to feel comfortable talking about their emotions and mental health.

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Lady Gaga

Lady Gaga — Lady Gaga has consistently been open about her struggle with anxiety and depression since she came onto the scene in the late 2000s. She’s discussed taking medication, and owning her mental health in order to erase the stigma.

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Jon Hamm

Jon Hamm — Jon Hamm struggled with depression after the death of his father and revealed symptoms of his mental illness in 2010. He would often sleep until 4 pm in the afternoon, and regard himself with neglect. Finally, he found a treatment option that worked for him and made adjustments to his life to help combat his depression.

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Michael Phelps

Michael Phelps — Michael Phelps has been quite forthcoming about his struggle with depression since the decorated Olympian was in the pool. He sought out therapy to help him with his struggle.

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Kristen Bell

Kristen Bell — Kristen Bell has been open about her anxiety and depression for years. The actress attributes her struggle with a serotonin imbalance that affects the chemical makeup of her brain, thus affecting her mood.

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Bruce Springsteen

Bruce Springsteen — Bruce Springsteen revealed in his book that he dealt with bouts of ‘agitated depression’ for years. After he skyrocketed to fame, he struggled to find a balance but found some inner peace through his own journey, often writing his experiences down.

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Gwyneth Paltrow

Gwyneth Paltrow — Gwyneth Paltrow struggled with post-partum depression after the birth of her second son, Moses. She chose to seek treatment from alternative therapies as a way to help her on her mental health journey.

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Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd — Ashley Judd has been open about her mental health for the last few years. The activist openly discusses her battle with depression and how she has come to live with it after attending a treatment center and building the tools she needs to help her each day.

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Naomi Judd

Naomi Judd — Naomi Judd has battled depression for years. She openly discussed her mental illness, citing that it never was about feeling unhappy or sad, but about a lack of balance that she felt throughout her life.

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Ryan Phillippe

Ryan Phillippe — Ryan Phillippe has battled depression for a number years. He cites meditation and exercise and being kinder to and more patient with himself as tools he has built to combat his struggle.

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J.K. Rowling

J.K. Rowling — J.K. Rowling has consistently been open about her struggle with mental health. The ‘Harry Potter’ author even described how, when she was writing the popular book, she based the dementors on the feelings she experienced when dealing with her depression.

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Sheryl Crow

Sheryl Crow — Sheryl Crow’s battle with depression began in her 20s. “I suffer from depression, and at its worst there was a six-month period in my 20s when I couldn’t dress, days when I couldn’t leave the house. Antidepressants helped and so did therapy, but depression is a chemical thing that some people go through. It’s always been part of my life,” she told Daily Mail in 2008.

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Terry Bradshaw

Terry Bradshaw — Terry Bradshaw openly discussed his depression after his diagnosis in 1999. He subsequently sought out therapy to help with his mental health journey.

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Buzz Aldrin

Buzz Aldrin — After the moon landing, Buzz Aldrin battled depression. Following his time with NASA, the astronaut experienced feeling of not being fulfilled. Upon taking a new job, he began to seek treatment for his mental health.

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Wayne Brady

Wayne Brady — Wayne Brady opened up about when he began to confront his depression at the age of 42. “You’re like, ‘I am just going to sit right here and I want to wallow in this. As much as it hurts, I am going to sit right here because this is what I deserve. This is what I deserve, so I am going to sit here because I am that horrible of a person.'”

The comedian finally made a change at 42, “Just to admit that you are feeling this way is a huge step. To claim that, to say, ‘Why do I feel dark? Why do I feel unhappy? Let me do something about this,'” he shared with ET.

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Jim Carrey

Jim Carrey — Jim Carrey has spoken candidly about his struggling with and overcoming depression. “Depression is your body saying, ‘I don’t want to be this character anymore. I don’t want to hold up this avatar that you’ve created in the world. It’s too much for me,’” Carrey as said. “You should think of the word ‘depressed’ as ‘deep rest.’ Your body needs to be depressed. It needs deep rest from the character that you’ve been trying to play.”

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Robin Williams

Robin Williams — Robin Williams struggled with depression throughout his life. Although he brought so much joy and laughter to millions around the world, he tragically took his own life at the age of 63.

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