The singer — who has previously opened up with fans about her struggles with bipolar II disorder — said she “didn’t think” she had severe depression because she’s “not actually sad,” but learned she has “every symptom of someone who’s severely depressed.”
Chappell Roan is getting candid about her mental health.
In an interview with The Guardian, the 26-year-old singer — who has previously opened up about her struggles with bipolar II disorder — revealed she was recently diagnosed with “severe depression” after she saw a psychiatrist to figure out why she was experiencing some unfamiliar symptoms.
Getty
Chappell Roan Reveals What Would Make Her Quit Fame: ‘Not What I Signed Up For’
View Story
“I’m in therapy twice a week. I went to a psychiatrist last week because I was like, I don’t know what’s going on,” Roan recalled. “She diagnosed me with severe depression — which I didn’t think I had because I’m not actually sad.”
“But I have every symptom of someone who’s severely depressed,” she added, with the outlet listing symptoms such as brain fog, trouble concentrating, forgetfulness and “a very lackluster viewpoint.”
Roan — who has spoken out about the downsides of fame — said she believes her sudden superstardom is directly connected to her new diagnosis.
“I think it’s because my whole life has changed,” she said. “Everything that I really love to do now comes with baggage. If I want to go thrifting, I have to book security and prepare myself that this is not going to be normal. Going to the park, pilates, yoga — how do I do this in a safe way where I’m not going to be stalked or harassed?”
Last month, the “Good Luck Babe” singer posted a TikTok video, in which she called out fans over their “creepy behavior” and asked them to respect her boundaries. As a result, some fans have described her as “ungrateful.”
Getty
Watch Chappell Roan Make MTV VMAs Debut With Fiery Performance
View Story
Roan went viral again last week when she cussed out a photographer while posing for photos on the 2024 MTV Video Music Awards red carpet.
“I’m very turned off by the celebrity of it all,” she admitted to The Guardian, reflecting on the red carpet moment. “Some girls have been in this so long that they’re used to that, but I’m not that girl. I’m not gonna be a sweetie pie to a man who’s telling me to shut the f–k up.”
“They think I’m complaining about my success. I’m complaining about being abused,” she added.
Elsewhere in her interview with The Guardian, the “Hot to Go” singer also discussed struggling with her mental health and sexuality growing up in a Christian conservative household in the Midwest.
“I was so desperate to feel understood,” said Roan, who identifies as a lesbian. “I pushed down the gay part of myself so deep because I was like, that can’t possibly be me.”
In addition to suppressing her sexuality, she also struggled with then-undiagnosed bipolar II disorder and suicidal ideation.
Getty
Why Chappell Roan Cussed Out Photographer on MTV VMAs Red Carpet
View Story
“I was very, very lonely. When I was growing up, it was like, ‘Gay means flamboyant, gay man’ and lesbian means, ‘Butch girl who looks masculine,'” she recalled. “There was not an array of queerness. And I was very mentally ill — suicidal for years — and not medicated, because that’s just not a part of midwest culture. It’s not: ‘Maybe we should get you a psychiatrist.’ It’s: ‘You need God. You need to pray about that.'”
Roan was diagnosed with bipolar II disorder when she was 22. She has spoken about her experience living with the disorder in the past.
In May 2022, the “Pink Pony Club” singer opened up about her diagnosis on Instagram.
“I’m diagnosed bipolar 2 and it’s been pretty hard to keep it together and release these songs,” she wrote at the time. “I’ve been on meds and I was in full swing hypomania when naked in Manhattan released, which I’m out of now. And the weeks leading up to and through the “my kink is karma”release campaign, I’ve been in intensive out patient therapy/ individual therapy 4 days a week and it’s definitely been difficult to balance promoting and being consistently active on social media.”
“I don’t really talk about it much, but it affects me daily and is a pretty big part of my music. I’m in a healthy spot, just wanted to share and I think it’s important to talk about mental health. <3.”
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, bipolar II disorder — one of the three types of bipolar disorder — is “defined by a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes.”
If you or someone you know is struggling with depression or has had thoughts of harming themselves or taking their own life, get help. The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255) provides 24/7, free, confidential support for people in distress.
