Chappell Roan has revealed she has been diagnosed with severe depression following her rise to fame – as she plays three consecutive sold-out shows in London.
The US singer has taken The Midwest Princess Tour to Brixton Academy this week but while her performances have been met with rave reviews, she has revealed her mental fragility.
The 26-year-old told the Guardian on Friday that she has symptoms of brain fog, forgetfulness, poor focus and “a very lacklustre viewpoint”.
“I’m in therapy twice a week,” she said.
“I went to a psychiatrist last week because I was like, I don’t know what’s going on. She diagnosed me with severe depression – which I didn’t think I had because I’m not sad.
“But I have every symptom of someone who’s severely depressed.”
Roan has achieved a massive breakthrough on the back of her first album, The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess, which came out last year but has become a sleeper hit in the UK.
She said this new fame has changed the way she has thought about her life as it now carries considerations about safety.
“I think it’s because my whole life has changed,” she added.
“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?”
Roan said earlier in the year that she now considers herself to be a lesbian and has said that she should have the freedom to call out “creepy behaviour” from fans.
Of her growing fame, she added: “I was warned that it’s going to feel like going through puberty again – my body does feel different.
“It’s holding tension in a very different way: I have all these new emotions and I’m really confused. It’s how it felt to be 12.
“I look at [Lady] Gaga and even Sabrina [Carpenter] and Lana [Del Rey] – when I see them going out in public, I can’t even imagine how much they’ve had to prepare for that.”