LeAnn Rimes opened up about her lifelong struggle with mental health issues, and how it culminated in a 30-Day treatment back in 2012, following her affair with actor Eddie Cibrian.
During an interview with People, the country music star revealed she has battled depression and anxiety since she found fame at the young age of 14, but kept it bottled up inside.
“At first I didn’t want to face my pain, because I thought I would get lost in it,” the 37-year-old confessed. “But I didn’t. People are so ashamed to talk about it and ask for help. But taking away the shame is so important.”
The massive success she found in her youth — which kicked off with two Grammys in 1997 — was not all that it seemed, according to the singer.
“There was so much emptiness and sadness amidst joy. And I had to be LeAnn Rimes, the entity, not LeAnn Rimes, the person,” she explained. “I was very fragmented.”
The years after she became a household name were filled with hardships, as she witnessed her parents divorce, sued her then-manager father for theft and dealt with her own divorce from husband Dean Sheremet in 2010, which came amid her very public affair with Cibrian.
Rimes and Cibrian, who married in April 2011, met on the set of a Lifetime movie in 2009 while they were both still married — Cibrian to “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Brandi Glanville and Rimes to Sheremet.
“There was something in the press every week that was just so fabricated,” Rimes recalled of the time. “Obviously there are mistakes that I take great responsibility for. But my whole life I had cared what everyone thought of me. So the public shaming was a deep thing that I took on.”
The outlet reported Rimes suffered panic attacks, negative thoughts and insomnia following the affair.
“I had so much underlying grief,” Rimes detailed. “Everything accumulated and I had to give in.”
The day after her 30th birthday, she entered a mental health facility.
“It was the first night I was ever alone, ever,” she said. “There was a lot of co-dependency. And a lot of healing that needed to be done.”
Since then, Rimes said she has been on a successful road to recovery, with the help of medication, Yin Yoga and breathwork. “I know who I am now. And I try to keep things in perspective,” she explained. “The need for other’s approval has changed big-time. Self-worth is key.”
Rimes also said she now has the tools to help her avoid the depths of depression and anxiety.
“I know I can get myself out of it,” she confessed. “Everything I have gone through has made me who I am, and I wouldn’t trade that, at all.”
Got a story or a tip for us? Email TooFab editors at [email protected].
LeAnn Rimes Jokes About Her Two-Toned Tan in Cheeky Bikini Pic