Katy Perry opens up on livestream about suicidal thoughts
This cover image released by Capitol Records shows “Witness,” the latest release by Katy Perry. AP
NEW YORK — Katy Perry opened up about having suicidal thoughts during a marathon weekend livestream event.
“I feel ashamed that I would have those thoughts, feel that low, and that depressed,” she said Saturday on YouTube during a tearful session with Siri Singh from the Viceland series “The Therapist.”
The pop star has been livestreaming herself since Friday, filming her life for anyone with an internet connection to see. She’s been doing yoga, hosting dinner parties, sleeping, applying makeup and singing, of course.
By Sunday, the most revealing 60 minutes of the four-day “Katy Perry — Witness World Wide” event was her time with Singh.
Perry told Singh she struggles with her public persona. In the past, she said, she has had suicidal thoughts. She talked about the challenge of being her authentic self while promoting her public image as she lives “under this crazy microscope.”
“I so badly want to be Katheryn Hudson (her birth name) that I don’t even want to look like Katy Perry anymore sometimes — and, like, that is a little bit of why I cut my hair, because I really want to be my authentic self,” she said.
Perry is sporting a new short, blond hairstyle.
The YouTube event is a promotion for her new album “Witness.” The livestream will culminate in a free concert Monday in Los Angeles for 1,000 fans.
