Pop star and actress Ariana Grande is standing up for young musicians and actors by asking labels to grant weekly therapy appointments in their contracts.
A young star herself, Grande embarked on her journey of fame at age 15, from her appearance on the Broadway Musical “13” to her portrayal of the bubbly red-head Cat Valentine on the Nickelodeon show “Victorious.” According to Variety Magazine, she spoke with comedian Marc Maron on his “WTF” podcast about the struggles she faced dealing with stardom at a young age.
“I was 19 when all of that nonsense started happening to me, and it’s just a crazy piece of the puzzle,” she said. “It’s something you work so hard to try and understand, and it will never make sense to me. I just love art and that’s all I care about, so it’s just weird that that’s a part of it … It started when I was so young with my body or rumors about my relationships or about my team or about my mom or about people I love. There was just no limit.”
Grande said fame can quickly change lives, especially at such a young age, and she said it is important to protect young stars from the toll such a major life change can have.
“When these people are cast in these life-changing roles, or when they get that record deal, when they get that moment, that should be non-negotiable in the contract,” she said. “Because to be an artist, you are a vulnerable person with your heart on your sleeve.”
Grande also spoke about her time on the “Victorious” set to actor and film producer Penn Badgley on his “Podcrushed” podcast last year in June. She spoke up about the need for safer environments for young stars, and mentioned her own relationship with the industry.
“A lot of people don’t have the support that they need to get through being a performer at that level at such a young age,” she said. “The environment just needs to be made a lot safer all around and like I said, I’m still in real time reprocessing my relationship to it.”
Mental health struggles have been an ongoing issue in the entertainment industry. According to Harbor Mental Health, a psychiatry and mental health facility in California, studies show rates of suicidal thoughts, depression, anxiety and addiction being higher among those in the entertainment industry. Additionally, a survey from 2019 conducted by the Swedish digital platform, Record Union, found that of 1,500 independent musicians, 73% had symptoms of mental illnesses such as anxiety and depression. When they studied those in the 18-25 age group, the number rose to 80%. Facing competition, constant stress and always being in the public eye are all contributing factors, especially to younger, more vulnerable stars.
When stars get their moment, their mental health struggles may go unnoticed. With actors and musicians such as Grande calling for change, maybe something will be done in one of the largest industries in the world.
