Late last night (March 28th), R&B singer Kehlani was hospitalized after attempting suicide. The singer revealed the attempt via her Instagram, which she immediately deleted after her post. In a caption underneath the picture, she wrote to fans, “…today I wanted to leave this earth. Being completely selfish for once. Never thought I’d get to such a low point…”
Earlier Monday, the internet was ablaze with speculations about the love triangle between Kehlani, Kyrie Irving and her former beau, PARTYNEXTDOOR. In a mass display of hypocrisy and misogyny, Kehlani was dragged through the proverbial mud and was labeled a “cheater” along with other names by various media outlets and critics. Kehlani also addressed these rumors and said, “Don’t believe the blogs you read. No one was cheated on and I’m not a bad person…”. Another post on her Instagram showed PARTYNEXTDOOR at her bedside with the caption, “Thank you for saving my life”.
Kehlani’s struggle speaks to the very insidious nature of mental illness and how those who may seem happy and okay are often barely keeping their heads above water on the inside. For celebrities, the constant exposure to criticism and a lack of privacy may exasperate things as well. Many suicide attempts don’t occur just out of the blue- they are often a result of an ongoing internal battle. Last year, around 494,169 people visited a hospital for injuries due to self-harm or for attempting to commit suicide. On top of that, females attempt suicide three times more often than males. Furthermore, for women of color, the discussion and openness surrounding mental health is near to non-existent- Karyn Washington, a social justice advocate and activist, and her successful attempt at suicide opened up the doors for a long needed discussion but the rhetoric surrounding the issue stills needs expansion.
Our hearts go out to Kehlani as she recovers both physically and mentally. It takes an incredible amount of bravery to reveal something as personal as an attempted suicide to the world- hopefully Kehlani’s story will encourage others to be open about their struggles as well.