Kelly Clarkson got candid with Demi Lovato during a discussion about mental health and being in the public eye, and the two praised each other for being open about their struggles during a new episode of The Kelly Clarkson Show.
Clarkson told Lovato that she admired how open she is with fans about mental health, and revealed that she has "similar issues" and that she's "suffered from depression." She told Demi:
"I love how open you are about mental health, because I have similar issues and I've suffered from depression. And I think a lot of people, especially in the creative world or just from childhood, you've been kind of trained to just keep going, and you can handle it. And especially as a woman, it's like, don't let them see you sweat. So, I just love that you're open about that because not everybody's as vulnerable at being like that. And I think it's helpful for your fans, and because I know in every Meet and Greet, you probably get people saying that 'I do too.' And they're like, 'Man, thank you for just like being open in your songs and open with everybody.' Because I felt like this was just me, and knowing that somebody else is going through it makes you not feel alone and so depressed about it. So thank you for doing that. It's really hard."
Demi then called Kelly her "idol" and that she's someone Lovato looked up to and admired her "being so outspoken and vulnerable and fearless." She said, "I just have to say that you were the first idol that I ever had and I wouldn't be the artist, or even the person that I am with being so outspoken and vulnerable and fearless, if I hadn't had you to look up to. So, I thank you for that. I looked at you as my idol growing up. You are fearless and courageous and real, and I love that about you. And I've always just thought to myself, like 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."
Kelly thanked Demi, but then revealed that it's not like that for her all the time and that staying positive is a daily effort. She explained, "I think the thing about it though, is even you're saying like, you know, 'you're strong, you're courageous, you're all those things.' I'm not all the time. It takes work. That's the thing. I think everybody looks at us as like, even when you overcome something, they're like, 'Okay, well she's already become...,' then I'm like, no, no, no, that's a daily effort. And like trying to be positive, that's a daily effort, and that's not a given, like you're just over it, and you went to some magical therapy session and it's over. I think that that's a daily thing that you work at, and a daily thing that I work at."
Clarkson added, "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."
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