Made famous by her party girl persona and glitter-smeared makeup looked, Kesha surprised her fans when she announced she was heading to rehab in early 2014 for an eating disorder. Now, the pop star is talking about that dark time in her life, how fame made things spiral out of control, and how she’s gotten back to a healthy, happy place.
In an interview with Vogue, Kesha explains how some body image issues really came to a head after the spotlight not only provided her great success, but also made her a target of unbearable criticism. “Slowly but surely my self esteem [started to] deteriorate,” she says.
She continues:
“There was a lot of not eating—and I started to think being hungry to the point of feeling almost faint was a positive thing. The worse it got, the more positive feedback I was getting. Inside I was really unhappy, but outside, people were like, ‘Wow, you look great.’ ”
Luckily, she’s got a good head on her shoulders and realized that things weren’t right. So she went to her therapist, and then her mother, to ask for help.
After spending some time in a rehab center that caters to eating disorders, she learned to look at food as something that’s good for the body, and a tool to stay healthy. The other biggest thing she learned: to look at life positively. Which she does now through taking time to herself and meditating, and surrounding herself with people that will build her up, not tear her down.
“I don’t pay attention to the Internet or bloggers. I surround myself with positive people. I run a few miles on the beach every day, and I got into Transcendental Meditation to try to find some peace in my crazy life. [It reminds me] to be grateful for where I am, for my body, and my face—as imperfect as any of it may be.”
Whether or not you struggle with your body image in a similar way, we’d all do well to follow suit and keep a positive, healthy outlook on life. None of us are perfect — how boring would the world be if we all were?
