Singer Lady Gaga is the latest celebrity to raise her voice to spread awareness regarding mental health at a fundraiser event.
Kindness Is Key
The A Star is Born actress was in Bel Air, California for the Children Mending Hearts' Empathy Rocks fundraiser on June 10. Children Mending Hearts is a Los Angeles-based non-profit that is dedicated to helping children fight intolerance and bullying through compassion and empathy with the arts. The "John Wayne" singer-songwriter was in attendance to present her mother, Cynthia Germanotta, with the organization's Global Changemakers award.
Lady Gaga, who co-founded the Born This Way Foundation with her mom, spoke very candidly about their work. She claimed that the non-profit organization's success was in part due to the message of kindness. The singer reminded the audience kindness' power and how the attendees could harness it to influence positive change within themselves and in their communities.
Revealing Her Struggles With Mental Health
During the ceremony, Lady Gaga shared with the audience a sincere message she received from one of her friends, Breedlove. She read that following the high-profile suicides of both Anthony Bourdain and Kate Spade, he decided to reveal his four-year fight with mental illness. The "Do What U Want" performer revealed that Breedlove was hesitant at first to admit his struggles with his loved ones.
Gaga divulged that, thanks to a supportive circle and a strong mental health team, Breedlove was able to connect with others like him. She also admitted to event attendees that she struggled to reveal her mental health challenges.
"I have struggled for a long time, both being public and not public about my mental health issues or my mental illness. But, I truly believe that secrets make you sick," said Gaga to E! News.
She concluded her speech by acknowledging the positive work that the Children Mending Hearts has done as an organization. Also, Gaga also praised her mother for being a guiding light not only to her but also for reaching out to others in need. Before she left the stage, Gaga forewarned about the power of suicidal ideas, and it was up to attendees to show empathy and kindness to prevent suicide.
Celebrities And Mental Health
Singer Ariana Grande revealed in the British version of Vogue that she suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms. One year ago, a suicide bomber killed 22 people and injured countless others after her concert at Manchester Arena in the United Kingdom. In the interview, she revealed that she got a bee tattoo to remember the victims.
Olympic swimmer Michael Phelps revealed that he struggled with depression and anxiety in a new interview. The 23-time Olympic gold medalist spoke about his experiences dealing with mental health disorders while he was launching his new partnership with online therapy company Talkspace. Phelps stated that he felt empowered after he spoke to therapists through text messages, web, and video chats.
