Lizzo was feeling bad as hell.
The 36-year-old singer is opening up about reaching a real low point after she was sued by former backup dancers and an ex-stylist in 2023 for alleged sexual harassment and claims that she created a toxic workplace environment.
Lizzo has denied all allegations, but she is still facing ongoing lawsuits. (However, she was dismissed from the stylist’s lawsuit, although her production company, Big Grrrl Big Touring Inc., remains a defendant.)
“About a year and a half ago — it’s so hard for me to talk about — I was in such a dark, deep depression,” she told the crowd during an intimate show at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
“I was so heartbroken by the world and so deeply hurt that I didn’t want to live anymore, and I was so deeply afraid of people that I didn’t want to be seen. Eventually I got over that fear.”
The four-time Grammy winner got a mental health boost while attending a concert around that time.
“As I was walking through the crowd to get to my spot, something miraculous happened. Somebody, who I didn’t know, looked at me and said, ‘Lizzo, I love you,’” she said. “And they reached out, and I reached back, and we hugged, and it felt so damn good.”
Others at the concert joined in to show their support for the “About Damn Time” singer, which was “f—king life-saving,” she said of the moment that inspired the title of her upcoming album, “Love in Real Life.”
“And after that experience I was like, ‘Damn, you can’t get this s—y on the internet, bro. This is the kind of love you can only get in real life.’ And I don’t share that story to gain some sort of sympathy. We’re beyond that, bitch. Look at me!”
Lizzo told the story to help others who are dealing with “depression, or darkness, or felt so betrayed by someone they trusted or was lied on and hated on for those lies.”
The slimmed-down star encouraged others to “reach out” if they’re struggling too.
“If you’re depressed, reach out to someone who will listen,” said Lizzo. “If you’re mad about the government, reach out to someone else who’s mad about the government and f—king organize.”
“If you hate the way you look, reach out to someone who loves you and who will tell you, ‘You are f—king beautiful as you are right now, no matter how your body changes,’” she continued. “Because you may not believe, but you are special.”
If you or someone you know is affected by any of the issues raised in this story, call or text the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988.
