Everyone Has Challenges: 8 Famous People Open Up About Mental Illnesses

There can be a tendency to think of our role models as superhumans who don’t experience the full spectrum of human emotion. However, many celebrities have begun speaking up about mental illness, challenging this misconception and providing space for a larger discourse about mental health and the stigma that can surround it. By spreading awareness of mental health challenges, celebrities can make it easier for others to recognize the need for support and reach out for professional help. Online therapy can be a convenient way to receive insight and guidance from a licensed therapist.

Mental illness and stigma 

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), about 45.3% of those diagnosed with a mental illness receive help. For those who do not receive help, stigma can be a primary driver. The APA generally breaks stigma into three categories: 

• Institutional stigma: This can refer to laws and policies that may, either intentionally or not, limit opportunities for individuals with mental illnesses. For example, there may be reduced funding for mental illnesses compared to physical illnesses. 
• Public stigma: This usually involves discrimination or stereotyping by individuals or organizations. For example, an employer may make a hiring decision based on a candidate’s mental health status, or someone’s mental illness may be invalidated with statements like “You’re just being sensitive.”
• Self-stigma: This usually refers to the experience of internalized stigma, which can lead to self-blame and shame about one’s mental health challenges. Individuals experiencing self-prejudice may believe that they are at fault for their mental illness. 

Stigma may drive many to conceal mental illness symptoms or avoid seeking professional help. Even for those who receive help, research has found that stigma may reduce the likelihood of continuing treatment. 

Tools for combating stigma

Though mental health appears to have become less stigmatized over the years, there is still work to be done. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) suggests doing the following to reduce stigma in your personal life: 

• Open up about mental health: If you feel comfortable doing so, opening up about your mental health can raise awareness and provide others with the opportunity to share. 
• Update your language: As a general rule, it’s recommended that you utilize person-first language to identify people as human beings, rather than as illnesses. For example, instead of saying “a depressed person,” you could refer to them as “a person with a depressive disorder.” 
• Validate mental illnesses as much as physical illnesses: Physical diseases, such as cancer, are usually not questioned or belittled the way that mental illnesses sometimes are. By reminding others that mental illnesses can be just as serious and impactful as physical diseases, you may reduce the likelihood of people making comments that undermine their validity. 
• Practice self-compassion: Many people experience shame surrounding mental illness. By recognizing that these feelings tend to be rooted in self-stigma, you can begin to challenge them. Educating yourself, connecting with others who live with mental illness, and seeking professional help can improve your self-esteem and uplift others to do the same. 

While these can be important ways for individuals to fight mental health stigma, they may be limited in their ability to impact institutional and public stigma. A 2022 study published in the Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health identified four overarching strategies for addressing stigma, some of which go beyond individual efforts: 

1. Raising mental health awareness: These efforts can be carried out by both organizations and individuals. By discussing mental health and educating others, we can all raise mental health awareness. 
2. Social contact: When celebrities reveal their journeys with mental health conditions, they can have a large impact that challenges stereotypes and encourages open discussions about mental health.  
3. Advocacy by influential figures or groups: People with respected authority can drive cultural changes that prioritize and normalize mental health. 
4. Anti-discriminatory legislation: These efforts typically aim to address structural issues driving institutional stigma. For example, these efforts may include removing requirements for individuals to declare mental illnesses on job application forms. 

Famous people with mental illness who have shared their stories 

Celebrities who reveal their mental health challenges can have an outsized role in reducing stigma. A 2022 study found that these admissions can improve public awareness and education, model healthy behaviors, encourage open discussions, and promote the use of mental health services like talk therapy. 

The following public figures have utilized their platforms to discuss their mental health: 

Simone Biles

Simone Biles entered the 2021 Tokyo Olympics as the greatest gymnast in history, with extreme pressure for further success from herself, her team, and the world. When she withdrew from the competition, she did so not for her physical health, but for her mental well-being. The gymnast has reportedly experienced symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression, and anxiety, some of which may stem from surviving abuse from former USA Gymnastics physician Larry Nassar.

Following her decision to withdraw from the Olympics, Biles has become a vocal mental health advocate for young athletes, encouraging others to seek out professional help.

Biles is quoted as saying, “I thought I could figure it out on my own, but that’s sometimes not the case. And that’s not something you should feel guilty or ashamed of. Once I got over that fact, I actually enjoyed it and looked forward to going to therapy. It’s a safe space.”

Russell Brand

Actor Russell Brand has openly discussed his experience with several mental health challenges, including binge eating disorder and substance use. He describes that, for him, substance abuse and drug addiction (now referred to as substance use disorder) stemmed from obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), loneliness, and escapism. Brand emphasizes the need to address the root causes of mental illnesses through self-reflection, professional care, and community. 

Naomi Osaka

In 2021, Naomi Osaka wrote an article for TIME Magazine titled “It’s O.K. Not To Be O.K.” In it, the famous Japanese-born tennis player described her experience with stigmatization following her decision to skip press conferences in an effort to prioritize her mental health. This occurred after Osaka experienced exacerbated symptoms of social anxiety disorder and depression due to invasive interviews. When she encountered intense public criticism following this decision, Osaka withdrew from both the French Open and Wimbledon to preserve her health. 

She argues that everyone, including top professional athletes, experiences mental health challenges and deserves respect for their boundaries. Through her open discussions, she may encourage others to set healthy boundaries and prioritize their mental health. 

Ariana Grande 

Grande has been open about her experience with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after a suicide bombing killed 22 people at her 2017 UK concert. Since then, she’s used her platform to share brain scans revealing the physical changes in her brain that may have occurred as a result of PTSD and to discuss the shame and guilt she’s experienced over her own trauma. Even celebrities can internalize stigma, and Grande’s upfront conversations can validate those feelings. 

Serena Williams 

After the tennis star gave birth to her daughter in 2017, she began experiencing symptoms of postpartum depression, which she terms “postpartum emotions” to reduce the stigma the label can carry. She has emphasized that you don’t have to have severe postpartum depression to experience fatigue, guilt, and self-doubt in the period before or after becoming a parent. Whether someone has postpartum depression, postpartum anxiety, or other postpartum mental health struggles, Williams emphasizes the importance of self-compassion. 

Taylor Swift

In her Netflix documentary, “Miss Americana,” and a subsequent Variety interview, Swift publicly described her challenges with disordered eating and body image. While she did not reveal whether she’s been formally diagnosed with an eating disorder, she describes the harm caused by society’s unrealistic beauty standards, and how they can drive self-hatred, shame, and disordered eating.  

Selena Gomez

Gomez, a singer and actress whose career began at age seven, publicly discussed her experiences with mental health disorders, including bipolar disorder (formerly called manic depression), anxiety disorders, and clinical depression. In her Apple TV+ documentary, “Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me,” she engages in emotional, complex discussions about her experiences with paranoia and psychosis. In doing so, she emphasizes treatment options, the benefits of mental health education, and the road to self-empowerment. 

Elton John

According to the famous musician, the three most important words in his life have been “I need help.” In addition to substance use disorder, John has openly discussed his challenges with bulimia nervosa, which can validate the experience of many men who have also experienced eating disorders and other mental health challenges. 

The role of therapy in managing mental health 

Many celebrities advocate for the benefits of talk therapy. For example, Harry Styles has been quoted as saying that, through therapy, he has felt “more alive.” Michelle Obama is also said to have shared that marriage counseling helped her realize “it wasn’t up to my husband to make me happy, that I had to learn how to fill myself up and how to put myself higher on my priority list.” Other stars who have advocated for therapy include those listed below: 

• Kristen Bell
• Katy Perry
• Chrissy Teigen
• Demi Lovato
• Prince Harry
• Brad Pitt
• Michelle Williams
• Kesha
• Jennifer Garner 
• Kerry Washington
• Jon Hamm
• Jennifer Aniston
• Emma Stone

With approximately one in five adults experiencing a mental illness in the United States, many people—famous or not—can benefit from talk therapy. However, barriers to care, including stigma and inaccessibility, can make it challenging for many to get the professional help they deserve. 

In these cases, online therapy can provide less intimidating and more accessible care than in-person therapy, thanks to its flexible scheduling options and the opportunity to attend therapy sessions from the convenience of home.

According to a 2017 study, online cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can effectively improve symptoms of many mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, and PTSD.