It probably would be easy for one to think that Taraji P. Henson doesn’t have a lot to be sad about, considering she’s arguably one of the most recognized faces on television.
But the “Empire” star actually struggles with depression and anxiety, which she admitted during a recent interview with Variety.
Taraji P. Henson says fame has a lot to do with her current feeling of depression. (Photo: Getty Images, Paras Griffin)
The actress also revealed that she started seeing a therapist after first trying to seek help through family and friends.
“I talk to someone. I have a therapist that I speak to,” said Henson. “That’s the only way I can get through it. You can talk to your friends, but you need a professional who can give you exercises. So that when you’re on the ledge, you have things to say to yourself that will get you off that ledge and past your weakest moments.”
Henson also explained that fame makes her depressed, because she’s been unable to do regular things, like go to the store by herself, since she started playing Cookie Lyon on “Empire.”
“I don’t like it,” she said about fame. “I’m an only child, and I enjoy spending time with myself. I’m OK with that. I miss waking early Saturday morning and going to Target. I can’t do that anymore. I tried it in Chicago before Cookie became Cookie.”
“I was in Bed Bath & Beyond, and this guy followed me around the store the entire time, so that ended that,” she continued. “I get up to go walk my dog, and I realize I can’t do that. So even just walking my dog, I can’t do that. So it’s depressing.”
Plus, Henson explained that she has to be conscious of everything she does and says because of fame, which also makes her depressed. And social media is another thing that gets her down.
Because even though she’s rich, famous and considered beautiful by many, the actress still compares herself to people on social media and it makes her sad. She says some folks on the social sites make her second-guess herself, because they make their lives look perfect.
In 2018, Henson started the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation, named after her late father, to help remove the negative stigma surrounding mental health in the black community.
