Kelly Clarkson Opened Up to Demi Lovato About Her Struggles With Depression

Both Kelly Clarkson and Demi Lovato are about as real as they come when it comes to talking about their struggles with body image and mental health. They have both been candid about the battles they’ve faced in the music industry, and on the latest virtual episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show, the two acknowledged how much their struggles are alike.
“I love how open you are about mental health because I have similar issues, and I’ve suffered from depression,” Clarkson, 38, told Lovato, 27 on her show.
“I think a lot of people, especially in the creative world or just from childhood, you’ve been trained to just keep going and you can handle it,” Clarkson said. “Especially as a woman, it’s like, ‘Don’t let them see you sweat.’ I just love that you’re open about that because not everybody’s as vulnerable being like that. And I think it’s helpful for your fans.”
Lovato has made it a point to share her experiences with depression and substance abuse as a conscious way to let people know they’re not alone. In turn, she said she credits the way she handles her fame and speaks to her fans to Clarkson, who she deems “the first idol” she ever had.
“You are fearless and courageous and real as fuck, you know?” Lovato said about the talk show host and American Idol star.
“I love that about you,” she added. When I was younger I always thought to myself, ‘If I ever make it, I want to be like her because she’s real and she’s genuine.'”
But obviously, as anyone who struggles with depression or anxiety knows, it’s not always easy. And though Clarkson takes the compliment, she also makes it clear that it takes effort.
“I think everybody looks at us like even when you overcome something, they’re like, ‘okay, she’s already overcome that.’ I’m like, ‘No, no, no that’s a daily effort in trying to be positive.’ That’s not a given like you’re just over it and you went to some magic therapy session and it’s over,” Clarkson shared.
The singer and mom-of-two recently filed for divorce from husband Brandon Blackstock after nearly seven years and noted that being in the spotlight can make vulnerable situations even more difficult. “It’s not easy to always have a spotlight on you and arrows being aimed at you, especially when you are vulnerable and you give people more ammo for all the trolls out there,” Clarkson told Lovato.
Lovato can relate, and she is passionate about lifting the stigma around seeking help. She recently helped launch the Mental Health Fund, a GoFundMe that will be be donated to four mental health organizations that provide free, 24/7 crisis counseling via text.